Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-11-19
BY CASTOR NERYAL.

- ELDOM has an international
conference gathered amidst
greater skepticism than will at
~ tend the opening, next month,
! of the seventh Pan-American
Conference at Montevideo. The fail
lIres at London and Geneva have un-
dermined the prestige Of the conference
method and stressed only too clearly
the difficulties of international CO.
operation in world beSet by conflicting
economic problems.
When the delegates of the American
republics meet at the Uruguayan capt.
tai on December they will find an at
mosphere of peSsimism and disillusion-
ment surrounding their deliberations
And this is unfortunate, because at no
other time ms Pan-American Con-
ference faced a greater opportunity TO
accomplish good.
Both in the political and in the eco
nomic field the time and the circum-
stances are ripe for the discussion at
Montevideo of a number of questions
which may have transcendental signifl-
canoe upon the future trend OF inter-
American relations. OF course, to go
frankly and deeply into such a discus
sion, and to achieve any practical re-
suits, the forthcoming Pan-American
Conference would have to abandon the
meek and automatically phrased
methods of previous assemblies and sin
cerely embark upon the kind of pam
Americanism which is more concerned
with practical accomplishments than
Americanism Of duties as well as of
rights.
Program Constructive.
Although, If we are to Judge from
the experience OF the other six CONT
mental gatherings so far held, the
chances for the adoption of the real
kind Of pan-Americanism at the next
one are rather dim, the very enumer-
alton Of the things which the confer
ence could undertake is sufficient to
stress how great an opportunity may
be lost at Montevideo. These things
conclusions Of the Committee on Latin
American Policy" sponsored by the For
eim Policy Association and the World
Peace Foundation.
This group of liberal thinkers, au-
thorities all of them on the subject of
international affairs, has advanced a
series OF suggestions to the Montevideo
conference which, In the event Of being
1olloWed-a very problematical event as
things stand now-would not only in
sure the success of that particular
meeting, but would also lay the foun-
cations for fairer and more perma-
nent understanding among the nations
Of the Western Hemisphere.
Very properly, the committee starts
by emphasizing the urgency of re-
storing International peace in the
ing OF new treaties of pacific settlement
or the experimenting of existing, but
discred1ted agencies, is undertaken, In
eject, how can the very presence of a
pam american assembly be explained
while two of its members are engaged
in bitter armed strife? How can the
nigh priests" Of pan Americanism talk
solemnly Of friendship and harmony In
the American family while Bolivian and
Paraguayan soldiers are left to settle at
the point Of bayonets the possession of
the Chaco Boreal
Urge Support Of League.
Instead Of the selfish indifference or
the petty rivalries which have hereto
fore allowed the prolongation of that
unfortunate state of affairs, the com
nittee advises thai the Montevideo
Conference support The present efforts
OF the League OF Nations In the settle
ment OF the Chaco Boreal dispute and
invite the League of Nations Commits
sion to cooperate with the conference
IN endeayoring to bring the govern
ments of Bolivia and Paraguay together
In direct negotiations and in extending
good offices at any time during such
negotiations"
But the lesson Of the Chaco contro-
versy and that of the Leticia conflict
not long ago demand step farther. 1t
Is not enough to stop the present state
OF belligerence between two Of the
American nations. The recurrence of
similar emergencies in the future should
be avoided. and for this purpose the
Improvement OF the existing machinery
for pacific settlement Of international
disputes is elementary. Acknowledging
this, the committee makes three rec
concentrations, which, If adopted, might
at last justify the title of Continent of
Peace" of which America has so
proudly, but so unrightfuIly, boosted.
The first one Is the conclusion at
Montev1deo OF an agreement following |
the general principle advanced by Pres
ident Franklin d. Roosevelt in his mes
sage to the chief executives of the |
world last May, to the effect that no
state, acting on its private authority. |
should send armed forces across the |
frontiers Of other states. Such an |
agreement would not only eliminate the |
possibilities Of international warfare on |
the American continent, but though the !
committee does not stress this point, it |
would also prevent the repetition In /
the future OF such harmful happenings /
as 1nterventions OF one state in the in