Evening star., 1933-08-13
SEMINAR LEADERS DISSECT
CARIBBEAN POLICY OFU. s.
Failures Of, and Factors Changing,
Program Are Set Forth by
Conference Speakers Here.

against their armed or diplomatic con-
Ttol of weak neighbors. Was it not
President Monroe, himself, who first
spoke Of the fate of the Latin republics
as affecting the peace and safety" Of
the United States? Were they not his
successors who popularized the term
vital interests" in the Panama and the
Caribbean zones?
Dr.. Roscoe Roy Hill OF the Nicaraguan
Claims Commission traced, in series
of lectures, the history of the Central
American states and remarked thai
hope for the establishment through fed
Grafton of great Central American
republic and the prospect for develop
ment of the region through an inter-
oceanic canal across Nicaragua are the
two underlying motives which have
shaped it.
Blaming the failure of repeated at
temptS to form Central American
federation upon the fact that perhaps
there are too few sincere unionists and
far too many politicians who prefer to
act on the small stage of the separate
republics s"-really, better explanation
than anv Central American historian
has yet advanced-Dr. Hill also stressed
the divergent viewpoints and character
istics which have stood in the way.
DR.. Hill submitted the opinion that
the protests of various Central Ameri-
can countries against the construction
of a Nicaraguan canal by the United
States do not represent the actual atti-
tude of those countries. but ARE rather
camoufage to cover the real motive"
and predicted that when the United
States "is ready to build the canal" all
the objections Of the Central American
states will fade and the final arrange
ments will be carried out with ease
and in perfect harmony" An opti-
mistic thought, indeed, but DR.. Hill
may be somewhat disappointed when
the United States gets ready to build
the canal"
Reviews Mexican Progress.
In a series of five lectures, Dr. VIII
frid H. Callcott of the University Of
South Carolina reviewed the remarkable
political and economic advance which
Mexico has made in recent years. This
generation" he said, has seen the
Mexican people stride over political de-
velopment which normally REQUIRES cen
turies. passing from the apathy Of
despotism to a position we'll advanced
on the road to individual thought and
democracy" Dr. Callcott was right,
although the term democracy" must be,
Of course, accepted with the limitations
Of all present day democracies, wherever
they may be located. Only an ideal,
truly utopian democracy could still be
considered the measuring standard o.
political development.
Prof Callcott himself made the point,
when. later. he cited as one of the out
standing achievements Of recent politi-
cal changes in Mexico important
legislation for the hitherto regularly
exploited lower classes, at the expense
Of the upper classes. with its keynote
the protection of society" This. and
no other, is the real significance of the
Mexican movement.
Probably to emphasize the democratic
progress to which he referred, Prof.
Callcott asserted that even though the
economic depression brought its inf7u-
though European and other Latin
American governments have crashed as
result of revolution. the friends of
Mexico are most gratified to be able
to point TO the crisis of 1882, when the
orderly resignation of President Ortiz
RubiO was followed by the peaceful
selection Of the new one" But would
this have been the case If the strong
arm of Gen. Gales had not been moy-
ing the threads behind the curtains?
Another lecturer, Prof. J. Fred Rippv
VI DOAC ClIhGlS4lS. OeSCIlDtU lIle pD-
Gtical and economic achievements Of
Colombia in the last decade. After
pointing to the tremendous increase in
the foreign trade of Colombia from
1913 to 1929 he praised the country
for the peaceful and orderly change
Of government in 1890. the year in
which revolutionary outbreaks were in
fashion throughout the Southern CONT
nent. And in this case the praise was
most deserving, because in the election
and the Inauguration of President
Olaya. the first Liberal to head the
Colombian government after many
years OF Conservative control, only the
Will Of the electorate and the discipline
and self-restraint of the ccntendirg
popular leaders intervened. Besides,
Colombia is now the one South Amer
lcan nation which has not seen its
internal peace disturbed by the present
wave OF political and social unrest.
The seminar had two extra features.
On July "a it convened to hear one of
the foremost Spanish-American writer's
and literary critics GonZalo Zaldum-
blde. Ecuadorean Minister to WASH
1ngton, deliver a brilliant eulogv Of
Simon Bolivar. the George Washing
ton OF South America" Several davs
later 1t convened to witness the bestOW-
ing OF membership in the National
Academy of History OF Venezuela upon
DR.. A. Curtis Wilgus, the able and
youthful director Of the seminar, in
recognition Of his contribution to His
panlc-American scholarship.
Copyright. 1889