Evening star., 1933-03-19
ROOSEVELT PROCLAIMS
GOOD NEICHBOR" POLICY
Public Opinion Will Support His Atti.
tude Toward Latin America. Com
mentatOr Points Out.

economists, all advised it, The people
were for it.
Besides, President Wilson inherited
from previous administrations certain
problems related to the Latin American
policy of the State Department. with
which, he had to deal in accordance
with standing facts and precedents.
Most of the inter- American questions
which came up during his terms in
Office, he himself did not create. He
only confronted them in the spirit
prevalent at the time
Confronted Crises.
OF course, he could have made a
brave departure and tried to correct
that spirit, which was not the right one.
But 1t takes long time to change pub
lie opinion in the United States. and
some of those questions were rapidly
approaching crisis. Naturally it was
unfortunate that he had to sacrifice
some of his principles for the sake of
expedlency, out he did only what his
II mediate predecessors had done before.
s-ln what the larger part of public opin-
&c in this country advocated at that
time
Moreover, in judging President Will
sons moves in Latin America one must
remember that some Of them were re-
lated to the emergencies of the World
War. Considering all these factors.
then, but above all, the sincerity of his
purposes, the attitude of President Will
son toward Latin America. even if mis-
taken, was already an Improvement
over the bold, inperialistic methods of
Theodore Roosevelt and the big stick"
era.
If I have dwelt upon the circum-
stances and the spirit in which Presi-
cent Wilson acted, it is to stress the
differences with the situation today In
the last fifteen years public opinion in
the United States has modified consid-
erably its conception of inter American
relations. Contrary to what was the
case when Woodrow Wilson became
President, the American people do not
believe today in "amicable interven-
tons in the safeguarding Of Central
American institutions" or in the big
brother" role. At least. that seems to
be the impression given by the ap-
proval with which recent Withdrawals
Of Marines and new policies of non-
intervention has been received through
cut the country. Both Republicans and
Democratic leaders have indorsed them.
Old Standards Reversed.
This change in public opinion
which problems at home, brought by
the economic depression, have probably
accentuated-has made possible an
almost radical change in the Latin
American policy of the State Depart
meEt in the past four years. One after
another, under the Hoover-Stinlson
administration, the State Department
has reversed most of its old standards
in inter- American relations.
1t has adopted intervention.
1t has withdrawn American forces
from Nicaragua. 1t has disavowed
armed protection abroad over the juris-
diction Of the local authorities. 1t has
rellstated the principle Of recognition
OF South American revolutionary gov
ernments. It has announced a new and
much fairer Interpretation of the Mon
rec Doctrine. II has definitely con-
demned territorial aggrandizement by
force.
There are still many things to be ac-
complished, true enough-particularly
in the field of economic relations-and
it will probably be a long time before
all the misunderstanding and suspi-
cionS created in the past have vanished.
But, today. it may already be said
that there is in the State Department
an entirely new attitude toward Latin
America.
And, what is even more important,
this new attitude is backed by public
opinion in the United States AS q
matter of fact, it could not have been
possible without the support of public
opinion. President Franklin D. Roose-
welt, then, has inherited the Pan
American problem under conditions
quite different from those under which
President Wilson received it from his
predecessor.
Sees Pledges Fulfilled.
There is no reason, therefore. to
doubt that the new Chief Executive
will carry out the pledges given in his
inaugural speech. Both the recent
Latin American policy of the State
Department and the opinion of the
people OF the United States are in ac-
/ cordance with his proclamation of the
policy OF the good neighbor" This is
enough to assure its realization. unless
extraordinary and unexpected circum-
stances should arise in the future.
Besides, the policy of the good
neighbor,' as I have interpreted it be-
lore, stands for equality of States, re-
spect for the sovereignty of smaller ma
tions. fairness and cooperation in in
| ternational affairs, sanctity of treaties,
preference for peaceful conciliatory
methods. mutual confidence and. in the
words Of President Roosevelt, respect
Tor the rights of others"
The policy of the good neighbor.
then. cannot admit of actions similar
to those ordered by President Wilson
during his military adventures in Mex
leo, Nicaragua and Haiti, no matter
how well intentioned these may be.
Even more, it is the best guaranty that
such actions shall have no repetition
in the future
And they will have no repetition,
not because Franklin D. Roosevelt. and
not woodrow Wilson. is President OF
the United States, but because public
opinion toward Latin America has
changed in the United States since
1918
Which only goes to prove the truth
I.of what Prof. James Brown Scott said
the other day, when I pointed out the
popular color and democratic spirit of
the inaugural parade, so different from
our solemn, strictly military Latin
American parades: This is still, he
said. 'the nearest thing on earth to
government of the people, by the peo-
pie and for the people"
(Copyright 19331