Evening star., 1934-08-05
SOUTH AMERICAN MOOD
MASKED FROM ROOSEVELT
True Picture of Sentiment in Haiti,
Panama and Colombia ClOuded
by Diplomatic Greetings.

| tocolar officers and government en-
/ ployeS.
In the case Of this particular presi-
Dental cruise. for instance, President
/ RooSevelt's party could have learned
much more. and much differently,
from the common people Of Haiti, Co
Iombia and Panama than It did from
the beautifully phrased but meaning
less formal speeches praising the in-
tangibIes OF the new deal and the pos
sibilities of the good neighbor" policy.
| It could have learned why the Latin
Americans think that the United
States has not been a good netghbor
| in the past and how the United States
may be good neighbor in the future.
In Haiti, where President Roosevelt
first stopped In his cruise. he could
have been told of the deep resentment
prevailing there for the abuses COM
mitted by previous administrations OF
the United States in the name Of
financial assistance, Of protection OF
lives and property. of humanitarian
ISM, and in the name Of the Monroe
Doctrine. He could have been told
that many of those abuses-which at
a time converted the small island re-
public into little more than a protec-
| torate of this country-and their con-
sequences, are still uncorrected. He
could have been tod that the recent
agreements transferring the supervi-
sion of Haitian finances to the bond
holders representatives have not elm
mated. because of the United States
Governments obligation TO the bond
holders, the danger of future inter-
ventions: and that the agreements
have resulted In fat profits for certain
foreign financial interests which have
made q mockery Of Haitian sovereignty
for the past 20 years.
In Colombia. President Roosevelt
could have heard. again, the story Of
how a distant cousin of his allenated
the good will OF Colombians and Latin
Americans in general by the "ob-
stretrical" methods employed in the
separation Of a Colombian province
and its constitution into an independ-
ent state which allowed him to take
the Canal Zone"
Panama's Grief.
In Panama the President of the
United States could have heard the
charge that the canal treaty-an In
strument which imposed heavily upon
Panamanian sovereignty and economic
independence, but which Panaman-
ians nevertheless accepted 80 years
ago, forced by the circumstances and
treasured by the promise that It would
not be used in detriment of their
| int
misused by the North American au-
thorities of the Canal Zone. He could
have heard the claim that all tram
sient commerce Is being accumulated
in the hands of the United States
Government as the manager OF COM
merciaI enterprises In the Canal Zone
which conduct q merciless competi-
tion against local concerns; that all
traffic of transient merchandise Is
monopolized by foreign companies
aided by the canal authorities; that
the absorbent action of the "commis-
saries" of the zone, the post ex-
changes, hotels, restaurants, club
houses, movie houses, etc, where the
United States Government carries on
multiple commercial activities with
out paying import duties, without the
burden of rents for buildings or lands
and without incurring the expense Of
ordinary freight costs. is gradually re-
ducing Panamanian commerce to a
pitiful condition.
If the presidential party which Is
now returning to Washington had
heard more of these things and less Of
the platitudes of diplomatic flirting.
greater results for the advancement OF
pan-American understanding could be
expected from its Southern cruise.
Copyright, Ie34)