Evening star., 1933-01-29
LATIN AMERICAN PROBLEM
DIFFICULT FOR ROOSEVELT
Momentous Developments Rest ea
Whether Paternalistie Policy Q. Ihae
of ofNon.Intervention k EohowsR&

NE doovx-ettmsW Ay1nR d nm
recognition and ha2 tH u kddSd Hat
the sanctity of treaties" must b pre-
served?
Besides, with these two international
disputes Is related the question OF arms
embargoes. At the suggestion Of Sec
retary Stimson, Congress has Just
passed q bill authorizing the President
to decree an embargo on arms destined
to warning nations, whenever the cir
cumStanceS would warrant this course.
And provided that an agreement has
been reached with other arms manufac-
turing countries for similar procedure
on their part OF course, these two
provisions leave entirely to the judg-
ment Of the Chief Executive the de-
cision ss to whether he would listen, in
each instance, to the petitions of the
pac5f1st delegations which dwell in the
shadow OF the Capitol or to the protests
OF the influential manufacturers OF
American arms and munitions.
In Central America. as usual, the
problems outstanding at present are in
timately connected with domestic DO
litical conditions The Washington
treaty of 1923. barring the recognition
OF revolutionary governments. has just
been denounced by two of its sigma
tolAco' SOoJd ilAId dIlO odlEduOI. IlC
United States is not a party to the
treaty, but it has followed the policy
embodied in it and declared its inten-
tion to abide by its provisions. in so
far as the Central American nations are
concerned.
Question to Decide.
Now that the treaty has been par
TALLY denounced and a new policy
OF recognition has been put in practice
with respect to the South American
governments, will the State Depart
ment adhere to the former. which.
after January l, 1884, will still be in
force for the other three signatory
states?
ana In this connection. the new ad-
mlniStration will have to decide wheth-
er to extend recognition to the present
government of Gen. Martinez. which,
since December, 1881, has been in
power in El Salvador.
In Haiti, the only Caribbean republic
where United States Marines are still
on duty. the new Secretary of State
will find very delicate situation. Re-
Gently treaty of friendship between
the United States and Haiti was re-
ifected by the Haitian Parliament, which
growing more and more outspoken
~ its condemnation of American inter-
v9rtion. The presence of Marines and
American officials. and the fact that the
man. reason for their presence there is
the collection of large loan, appears
dlsconcerting, to say the least, in view
OF the recent changes in the policies
OF the State Department toward other
Latin American republics. Although
the present state of affairs is appar-
emily sanctioned by treaties. President
al ,,-,I
alter 1t, once in Office. in order to re-
move one Of the outstanding bones Of
contention and misunderstanding with
the southern peoples.
In Guatemala and Honduras the in
coming administration will have to see
that the arbrtral award pronounced last
week by Chief Justice Hughes in the
l0O-year territorial dispute between the
two countries is faithfully and peace
fully carried ont
In Panama there are sharp differ
ences. arising from the 1903 treaty. to
be smoothed out. For years the United
States and the Panaman government
have held conflicting views on GER
tain provisions of that treaty, which
gave the former the right to construct
the Panama Canal. Lately, the differ
ences have grown more pronounced,
and a prompt solution of them is de-
manded by all sectors Of public opin-
ion in Panama.
In Cuba, where The United States
occupies peculiar position by virtue
of the Platt amendment the elements
opposed to the Machado regime are
seeking the intervention OF the State
Department in the domestic political
situation.
Besides these specific instances of q
political nature the new administration
will have to deal. at once. with the
larger matters of economic, commercial
and financial relations with Latin
America. to which the worldwide
economic crisis lends unusual impor-
tance. Adjustment of the Latin Ameri-
can governmental debts and reciprocal
tariff arrangements between the United
States and the Southern republics are
the chief items in this field And they
must be taken care of before British,
French and German endeavors to con-
troll Latin American trade have gone
too far.
Just as the political issues must be
settled before the seventh International
Conference of American States opens
IN Montevidec, next December, and
1lnos Uncle Sam ''unprepared.'
Copyright. l?33)