Evening star., 1933-08-13
BY GASTON NERVAL.


~ EALIZING that lack Of knowl-
u edge of Latin American condi-
II tions and a false conception of
L the political factors involved in
pan Americanism are mainly
responsible for the misunderstanding
still prevailing in the relations of the
United States with the republics on the
other side of the Rio Grande, the George
Washington University has established
seminar-conference on Hispanic-
American affairs. The second annual
seminar held in connection with the
Summer sessions of the UniVersity'S
School of Government, has just con-
cluded after series OF lectures and
round table discussions in which some
of the outstanding problems of the So
called Caribbean policy of the United
States were reviewed.
Though space limitations prevent the
discussion here of every one of the sub
jectS dealt with, some of the highlightS
of the seminar may be mentioned.
Prof. Leland Hamilton jerks, after
analyzing the results Of United States
Intervention in Santo Domingo, Puerto
Rico, Haiti and Cuba, concluded that
the American system of government Is
unsuited to the building and ruling of
a colonial empire. He added that the
United States has failed to carry on
imperialistic responsibilities. either with
credit or advantage to itself or benefit
to others" This failure he attributed
to the inability of the United States
to draw definite, integrated policy Of
constructive control, and to the pro-
longing Of political infancy" in those
countries, resulting from American
colonial administrators ignoring the
nf
litical leadership.
Criticizes U. s. Doctrines.
Prof. jerks criticized the two doc
trineS which have motivated American
Imperialism: First, that IF our neigh
bors DO not behave it is our duty to
put them to rights; and second, that
''if they do not develop their resources
We ought to do it or some one else will ;"
In them, we may easily recognize the
two paramount features of the Carib-
bean policy of the United States in the
past few decades: international police
force and economic penetration. Its
best opponents were. respectively,
Theodore Roosevelt's policy of the big
stick and Secretary Knox's dollar
diplomacy.
Apparently and fortunately, however,
the United States seems to be turning
away from the errors of yesterday. AS
Prof. jerks stated: The time has gone
when Americans will burst with eager
ness to tell their neighbOrs what to do
with themselves. We are occupied, and
will be for some years to come with
programs and plans for reorganization
Of our own national life" No doubt. if
this change Of attitude is not carried
to the other extreme, that Of absolute
indifference to international afTairs-a
danger which Prof. jerks failed to
nentlon-it VIII certainly have been a
change for the better.
In making reference, though. to the
American intervention in the Domini-
can Republic under Theodore Roosevelt
Prof. jerks made the same mistake as
most American professors of inter-
American relations. 1t was, he said,
to foreStal any possible European
conflict over the Monroe doctrine that
the United States undertook to look
after the interests of all foreign bond
holders in the Caribbean area" Prof.
jerks forgets that the original Monroe
doctrine had nothing to do with the
interests OF foreign bond holders in the
Caribbean area. If Theodore Roosevelt
USED the doctrine as a cloak for Aneri-
can intervention it was because he, also.
mad forgotten the original Monroe pro-
nouncement, purposely or not.
Inman Sees Inconsistency,
Another lecturer. Dr. Samuel Guy In
man, member Of the faculty of CoIum-
bla University, pointed to the irony
OF situation which finds the United
states, on the one hand taking the lead
IN disarmament conferences, promuI-
eating plans to outlaw war and getting
tremendously excited" about japanese
aggression in Manchuria and. on the
other, consistently pursuing a policy
OF dominating for its own purposes
the Caribbean region. Although the
changes of the past four years in the
Latin American policy of the State De-
partment, precisely. tended to correct
such a situatlon-With the result that
today charges of American imperialism
in the Caribbean are less justified than
they have been in many a decade-the
memory of the big stick" and of the
big brother eras is still fresh. and
bears out from a historical point of
view. the indictment of DR. Inman
The United States in the past has
continued" DR.. Inman added, the
same policy exercised earlier by Spain
and other European powers. that OF
dealing with the Caribbean countries as
through their own interests were only
secondary and the interests of the
United States primary" 1t is because
Japan and the European nations realize
that the United States lis in the same
boat with them" in the control of re-
giOnS considered as of vital interest" to
their peace and safety" that they do
not take very serlosly American protests