Evening star., 1933-07-16
LATIN AMERICA BELIEVES
i. S. PLAN SOLVES WAR
Roosevelt Proposal of Sending No Armed
Forces Across Frontiers Particularly
Helpful in Western Hemisphere.

sia, and obtained the lifting Of the
British reprisal embargo. Second he ar
ranged for an American loan, apparently
for commercial reasons alone, but which
has already paved the way for an early
recognition Of the Soviet government
by the United States. And third. he
concluded pacts of non-aggression
with all and every one of the countries
which border with the Union of So
cialist Soviet Republics
These pacts bind the signatory par
ties not to send armed forces beyond
their frontiers and not to permit on
their soil the arming OF foreign bands
which intend to cross their frontiers
and invade Russia. Apart from this
| extension OF the non aggression prin-
ciple to preclude the possibility of In
ternal strifes launched from outside
which has particular value to Rus
sia-the Litvinoff treaties thus carry
IN them the test to define an ag-
gressor advanced in President Roose-
Velts now historic message
Soviet Policy Changed.
This circumstance gives the Rus
sian non-aggression pacts a double
| significance. In the first place. from
the strictly political point OF view. the
Litvinof treaties bear out the here
tofore much-suspected pacifist inten-
| tlonS of Soviet Russia The complete
about-face Of Soviet foreign policy In
recent years, from the traditional world
! revolution goal of Leninism to a policy
of live and let live, which makes the
success of the social national expert
ment dependent upon external peace,
has carrld Russia all the way from
the role of the black sheep" the
common enemy" the menace to
mankind" Of earlier days, to that Of
champion Of world peace. If the pres
ent policy is continued. it will soon
be difficult to find another state work.
ing more consistently and more de-
voteoly for the preservation of peace.
Foreign Commissar Litvnof has a.
ready been suggested for the Nobel
peace prize.
From the wider point Of view Of the
student of international relations. the
significance Of the Russian non-ag-
gresslon pacts is even greater. Be
cause embodying. as they do, the only
real anti-war-that is. the only anti
aggression device-so far agreed upon
| between nations, they constitute one
more step forward in the slow and
painful march OF the peace machinery
OF the world. They show the way
and they give encouragement. When
all the nations on earth have sub
scribed to the Russian formula-which
is also the Roosevelt formulation de-
inning an aggressor. the new interna-
tlonal morale will cease to be 4 figure
of speech
Any progress in this direction has
particular Importance for Latin Amer
lca. For decades the major drawback
10 Pan-Americanism has been the
Landing. in times of peace. Of armed
forces Of the United States in some
CT the smaller republics of the Carib-
pean region. Under various pretexts-
as that Of protecting the life and prop
erty OF foreigners. that of exercising
sef-lmposed duties of international DO
lice, or that of assuring the fulfllment
OF financial obligations-forces of the
United States Army, Navy or Marine
corps nave been at one time or an
other in Mexico. Cuba, Nicaragua, the
Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Much Resentment Caused.
The presence Of these troops, when
no state Of war existed. on territory
OF Latin American countries. which are
most Jealous OF their sovereignty. has
! provoked a great deal of resentment
| and suspicion throughout the Southern
/ Hemisphere and given birth to the
| charges OF Yankee imperialism" which
have hindered so seriously inter-Arner-
ican relations.
Under the Roosevelt non aggression
scheme. not one of the actions which
have characterized the Caribbean pol
icy OF this country could be re-enacted
IN the future without making the
United States an aggressor. The pledge
! to send no armed force OF whatso-
ever nature" across the national from
tiers would remove the very roots Of
imperialism by eliminating the posi-
olhtles OF military Intervention in q
! foreign country
Not. only that This self-restrict;or.
this remuneration of all aggressive war
tare would not only put an end to
United States intervention in Latin
America. it would also help consid-
erablv the relations of the Latin
American countries among themselves.
! The difficulty of pointing out the ae-
gressor has played no minor nart in
allowing recent information incidents
In South America to degenerate into
major armed conflicts
: PROBABLY no other continent would
benefit more than Latin America from
universal enactment Of the Roosevelt
antl-aggression formula.
Copyright. l933)