Evening star., 1934-04-22
UNREST In CUBA THREAT
TO PAN-AMERICAN PEACE
U. SIS Early Recognition of Mendieta
Regime Serves to Influence Island
Politics-Masses Are Suspicious.
BY GASTON NERVAL.

BY GASTON NERVAL.
IF THE record Of the "Pan-Amer-
ican year" just concluded showed
some encouraging signs, as
4 stressed last week, the prospects
for the new one are less COM
forting.
Taking the popular conception of
pan n-Americanism, that is, the friend
ship prevailing between the United
States and the Latin American repub-
lies, we concluded in a previous article
that the II months preceding the
celebration of "Pan-Ameriean day
had seen heartening progress. OF
course, that applied only to that par
ticular kind of pan-Americanism. as
the term is usually understood here,
concerning the good will enjoyed by
the United States in Latin America.
1t did not apply to the real meaning
of pan-Americanism, which is today
at one of its lowest ebbs.
Insisting on that differentiation.
that is, still considering pan-Amer-
icanism in its limited sense of United
States-Latin America relations. and
not in its larger sense of harmony
and mutual cooperation among all
the American republics, let us briefly
glance at the outstanding problems
which the "Pan-American year" just
began has in store.
Cuba Most Dangerous.
The Cuban situation is probably the
possibilities. The hasty recognition of
President Mendieta by the United
States, contrary to what seems to be
the general impression. has not put an
end to the Cuban storm. 1t has mo-
mentarily eaSed the tension and Gre
ated an appearance of stability, but
1t has not even touched the funda-
mental issues behind the Cuban un-
rest. 1t has only postponed the crisis.
II anything, from the pan-Amer-
ican point of view-or what we are
calling the American point of
view"-the Mendieta recognition has
only aggravated the problem. In the
face of the persistant refusal of the
United States to recognize the Grau
San Martin regime in four long
months. the hurried recognition Of
Mendieta in "a hours revealed an OBJ
vious partiality. Due to the peculiar
political and economic relations be-
tween the two countries. it really
amounted to an indirect intervention
in determining the composition of the
Cuban government,
This naturally has only added to the
suSplciouSneSS and SenSitiveneSS of the
Cuban masses. already resentful of
such intervention in the past. Justi-
hedly or not, when the Mendieta ad-
minStration fails to bring about i'm
mediate economic relief. the people
will partly blame the United States
for having made that administration
possible. In the reaction which is
bound to follow. "anti-Yankee" senti-
ment will run even higher than before
Reforms Checked.
Besides. President Mendieta has
given additional grounds to this pos
sibility by checking all the progressive
and mildly "leftist" reforms inaugu-
rated by Grau San Martin, con-
sciously or unconsciously favoring the
big United States interests in the
island. Large sectors of public opinion
and the masses-which are not yet
public opinion in Cuba. but which can
just the same, precipitate events when
emergencies arise-are already grow
ing impatient and denouncing the
generosity Of the authorities toward
foreign interests.