Evening star., 1933-12-10
DOMESTIC PROBLEMS FACE
PAN-AMERICAN CONGRESS
Uncertainty Forbids Commercial Ar.
rangements, Despite Early Hope
Held by Officials Here.

that no concrete or definite economic
arrangements should be expected from
the Pan-American Conference because
the United States Is not IA position,
a. yet. to enter into permanent COM
mitments abroad while his own situa-
ton at home remains uncertain.
Government's Position.
The position of the Washington Gov.
ernment Is not at all hard to under.
stand. It Is self-evident that economic
policies In the international field cam
not be fixed until the domestic ones
have been definitely settled. Reciprocal
trade pacts, bilateral agreements, and
much less continental ARRANGEMENTS
cannot be considered before 1t has been
ascertafned that they viii not conflict
with some Of the measures which are
being tried to relieve internal condi-
tions. Just the same, though, it is
equally easy to understand the reluc.
tance Of Latin Americans to reconcile
themselves with the idea that no posi-
tive economic gains are to be derived
from this conference for which they
have been preparing. hopefully, for
months. That they have not Is yet
given up hope was clearly shown at the
opening session Of the conference, when
President Terra Of Uruguay, made the
denunciation Of economic isolation and
high customs tariffs one of the keynotes
of his speech.
At the time these lines are being
written. it is still uncertain whether the
Latin American delegates are going to
force upon the conference the discussion
of fundamental economic issues or
whether the suggestion of the United
States will prevail that such discussion
be postponed until internal conditions
have improved, and only the preparatory
ground for it laid at Montevideo.
It Is In the political field where the
Seventh Pan-American Conference has
. more definite opportunity for success.
OF course, as expressed here before, the
record Of the previous continental gath
erings is not very encouraging, but II
this time the delegations meeting at
Montevideo are animated by q sincere
desire to accomplish good-and to &C.
complish it in spite Of the conventional.
isms and shibboleths Of the past-they
can achieve really worthwhile results.
To Avert Bloodshed.
The armed conflict raging at the
Gran Chaco between two of the ma
tions attending the conference was de-
cidedly injected IN its deliberations at
the very start. If the Montevideo Con-
gress only succeeded In preventing fur
ther bloodshed and sacrifices in the
Chaco it would have enough to its
credit to offset. most Of its short
comings
Other possibilities of constructive ac-
complishment may be found in the
proposals brought to the conference by
various Latin American delegations for
the permanent organization of peace
and international justice in the Western
Hemisphere. Outstanding among these
Is the Salvadorian plan for an inter-
American tribunal Of justice. for which
the Salvadorian foreign minister has
been working in direct communication
with the chancelleries of the American
republics ever since the date of the
Montevideo assembly was announced,
1t is interesting to note, in this con-
nection, that as early as 1912 the SAL
vadorlan Legislature passed law call.
ing upon the executive branch of the
government to seek the cooperation of
other countries in establishing an
American court of arbitration, with
jurisdiction over all political and eco
nomic differences liable to arise between
the signatory parties.
Many Obstacles.
Many Observation-Disclosures. It Is true.
and many specific obstacles must be
eliminated before such an ambitious
goal can be reached, but not even the
most skeptical will deny that any step
In that direction is an improvement
over the unfair and troublesome state of
affairs which has characterized inter-
american relations in the last few
decades.
Without indulging in unjustified op-
timism, let us hope that the delegates
assembled at Montevideo will recognize
the fact that the establishment of
peace and international justice in the
continent on more solid and perma-
nent bases than IN the past is their
only chance Of success, once they have
been deprived, by the circumstances of
the moment, Of the privilege and the
opportunity Of settling economic prob
lens.
(CopyriRht 1Q3al