Evening star., 1933-12-17
LATIN AMERICAN PARLEY
FRIENDLY TO u. S.
Reluctance to Intervene Seen Cause
of Lack of Hostility at Pan.
American Conference.

financial purpoEes, reversion to the
old Jeffersonian policy of recognition -
r. volutionary governments and an os-
tensible desire to end the remaining
instances of United States hegemony in
the Caribbean. The sincerity Of these
intentions has been supported by facts,
even though these did not always 60
all the way. The Latin Americans. al
though skeptical in the beginning, are
commencing to believe in this me
deal" The persistent refusal of tn
| United States to intervene in the re-
cent Cuban crisis has added consid-
erably to their confidence.
In the second place, and honestly
carrying out the pledge of "a good
neighbor," which President Roosevelt
announced on Pan-American day, the
delegation Of the United States did
not go to Montevideo with the avowed
intention of getting anything out of it,
or with the veiled design Of telling the
other delegates how and what to do
about anything. Some OF the Latin
American delegates. who also attended
previous pan-American conferences,
cannot have failed to notice the
change. Instead of grasping the lead
er's baton and beating time for the
| younger nations gathered around the
conference table, at Montevideo Uncle
Sam has wisely taken second-row
seat and let the Latin Americans them
selves dispose of some of the most
| controversial issues. AS it could be
expected, unable to arrive at an agree
| ment, certain Latin American delega-
tions have sidetracked various pro-
! poSals political and economic, coming
! from other Latin American delegations.
Argentina, which in previous con-
\ forannac hoe hpaD kf1nu0 O the OI1t-
standing rival of the United States,
sidetracked the Mexican proposition for
| a 6-to-10-year moratorium on foreign
debts, which would have hurt the
United States, Colombia led move
ment to restrain the Cuban delegates
from embarrassing the United States
| with too direct or too outspoken ref
erences to its delicate position in the
island The Uruguayan plan for
| tariff truce and general tariff reduc-
| ton to the 1928 level was also side
| tracked by other Latin American dele
! cations. Similar fate awaits the
| Peruvian project for an all-American
central bank.
United States to Get Benefits.
The result is that most of the ques-
! tions which the United States, because
of unsettled conditions at home, was
!
/ terested in avoiding at Montevideo, are
| being defeated-which is another way
Of saying sent to committees or shelved
for the next conference the Latin
Americans themselves. The United
! States will thus reap the benefits, with
out the responsibility.
Another reason for the unusually
| sympathetic disposition found in Monte
video by the United States delegation
/ it, fNx-
the preceding one-is the presence at
its head Of a man like Cordell Huh.
! The Secretary of State has won the
Latin Americans by his simplicity, his
| franknesS, his understanding mood and
| his eagerness to learn their viewpoints
instead of trying to convey his own.
Besides being already known as an
advocate of international cooperation
| in economic matters and besides being
at Montevideo as the representative of
an administration which has amply
shown its good intentions toward Latin
America, Secretary Hull had other and
| win the Latin Americans. He is the
prototype Of the perfect Southern
gentleman" so generously endowed with
the qualities of tact, diplomacy and
| sincerity which Latin Americans ad
mire so deeply.
ALI this Is proving two points which
We have been stresSing for years. First.
| that Latin American suspicion and re-
| sentiment are insurrnountable bar
riers; that good will can be restored
through good deeds, and, second, that
in a new and more equalitarian align
ment of all the American republics the
United States need not fear that it
might be 20 against l." More often
than not, the United States would find
many of the Latin nations on its side,
| if only the present attitude Of discre-
tion, Of non-intervention and Of respect
for their fundamental rights of SOW
ereignty is continued and perfected in
| the future.
(Copyright, 1933)