Evening star., 1934-03-18

NJ the lack of practic a l
wv achievements at Monte
Video is still echoIng
through the columns OF
the Latin American press, another in
ternational conference was scheduled
to gather last Thursday at Guate-
mala City.
This time 1t is the five Central
American republics that have de-
cided to make another attempt at
international cooperation through the
now discredited methods of confer
ences for recommending" purposes
and treaties which lack means OF en-
forcement.
1t is probably with the best Of
intentions that President Ubico Of
Guatemala invited the chief execu-
tives Of the other four Central Amer
ican nations to send delegates to
Guatemala City for a general discus
sion and readjustment of Central
American affairs, political and eco
nomic.
Unfortunately, sad as it Is to admit
it, good intentions, alone. somehow
do not seem to be sufficient to ad-
vance the cause Of peace and under
standing among the nations of this
very earthly world of ours. The ex-
periences Of the past few decades are
all too many and too discouraging.
Substitute Treaties Needed.
OF course, the Central American
governments had fairly reasonable
excuse for calling a Central Ameri-
can parley at this time. aside from
their common interest in impressing
the people at home with the bombas-
tic declarations Of good will and the
promises OF everlasting peace which
abound In international conferences.
Recent interpretations OF the 1923
treaties which governed their mutual
relations have all but nullifed COM
pletely those instruments. Condi-
tions have changed, and so has pub
lie sentiment in those countries with
respect to the spirit which animated
the 1923 pacts. Two Of the Central
American governments have already
denounced them officially. And,
what Is even more important, the
United States-in accord with its
new policy of non n-intervention-can
no longer be relied upon to uphold
them. as Secretary Hughes had
promised
Something, then, had to be done
to substitute a new set of treaties
for that which is being thrown into
discard. But from the reports which
have reached Washington, and from
the draft projects which the govern
ment sponsor of the Central Amer
ican conference has introduced, it
appears that the substitute suggested
participates of many of the evils of
the old treaties. II anything, it may
increase the dangers and the prob
lens created by the 1923 pacts.
War is "Outlawed."
Let US briefly glance at the main
provisions of the draft treaties to be
considered by the Central American
conference. At the start, it may be
said that such main provisions are
cleverly veiled by series of general
declarations of principles which may
impress the layman, but not the OBJ
server who has seen them stated and
disregarded so often in the past.
One of them outlaws" war be-
tween two or more Central American
countries. stipulating that the sigma
tories shall never resort to force to
solve their differences" and that war
is impossible among them and is for
ever prescribed"
Another one recognizes that the
political union of Central America is
the supreme aspiration" of all con-
cerned and pledges. once more, the
only too often pledged cooperation
of the parties toward the achieve
ment of that goal in the future"
Another one establishes Central
American citizenship" granting equal
rights and duties to citizens of one
Central American state in all the
others.
Still another one provides for arbi-
tration of all controversies which may
arise among the signatory parties.
But this is done in the most general
terms. Neither here nor at the time
of outlawing war is anything said
about the course to be followed if
one of the parties ever refuses to sub
NIT to arbitration or reluctantly" re-
sorts to force. These pacifst pledges
will never amount to much until the
means are also provided to prevent