Montana labor news., 1934-07-05
The Washington Scene

NApIliN1 1O4N. III -AHNNoA'
eyes will follow President Roosevelt
on his warship trip to Hawaii. Dark
flashing Latin-American eyes, cold
blue English eyes and the almond
brown eyes Of Japan-not to mention
American eyes of all kinds.
As the Yankee battleships cut their
way through the warm waters Of the
Caribbean, slice the Americas in half
at Panama and cruise through the de-
ceptive calm OF the mis-named Pa
cific, the former governor of the En-
pire State will hold the attention OF at
least three continents, as representa-
tive of a far wider imperialism.
Not that Roosevelt may be expected
to say or do much on this trip. Only
one or two n%ewspapermen will accom-
pany him, and they IN another war
ship. He will keep the world guess
ing. Suspense and innumerable dope
stories about what he is planning to do
on his return, will build up his po-
litical influence while he remains IN
committed. Already election stories
are out about what he will say in
Green Bay, Wis, after he gets back.
But the less Roosevelt says and does
on this trip, the more the significance
that will be attached to his least ges-
ture-and the nor studied such yes
lures will be.
The very direction Of the trip, Of
course, has had Japan on edge. A big
navy president is directing national at
tention to the possibilities OF war in
the Pacific-is building up sentiment
for naval preparedness, in face of an
other naval conference, and looking
toward Japan as he does SO. That
was the natural reaction in Japan. A
luncheon engagement with a visiting
Japanese prince in Washington was a
base for stories-soon denied-that
Roosevelt was planning to meet Jap
anese representatives somewhere in
mid-Pacific.
Before his itinerary was completed
Roosevelt told a press conference he
was planning to touch land only at
one spot on the %way-aside from Pan
anna of course. All the more reason
for paying attention to that spot. The
newspapermen couldn't even spell the
name of the city, besides being vague
as to its location. They asked Roose-
welt to oblige with the spelling and
geographic details-and found that he
knew where he was going all right, and
ever how to spell it.
Cartagena, Columbia, didn't mean
much to the reporters and didn't rate
more than a line or two in the papers,
after the presidents announcement.
But in London, Toxic and Latin
America, Roosevelt's little Courtesy
CALI on the president of Columbia is
not going unnoticed, and is not in
tended to.
There are a lot of people infar-
away Britain and Japan whose bust
ness it is to know much more about
Latin-A American geography than do
most Washington correspondents. At
any rate, they know that Columbia lies
right next to Panama and its famous
canal, and that it is the only country in
South America facing on two oceans,
the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Colombia comes next to Panama po-
litically and strategically, as well as
geographically, in the event Of any
future naval warfare in which the
United States may engage. A little
courtesy and cash now are a cheap
investment compared to the money,
munitions and human lives it may cost
later on to keep Colombia lin the right
hands"
While Colombia's outgoing Liberal
President Olaya Herrera will receive
the courtesy, incoming Liberal" Pres
ident Alfonso Lopez has already been
in the United States after the cash.
AT the Montevideo Pan-American
conference Lopez distinguished him
self by his loyalty" to the United
States. ct had helped his party to
power after the Conservatives" I'M
der British influence, got tough with
the Yankee Gulf Oil Coz Lopez
earned the welcome he received in
Washington and Wall street.
4 y 4
AS to the United States, the dope so
far is that Roosevelt, after viewing the
hula-hula dancers Of Hawaii, will be
back for Americas election hula-hula
refreshed and with new ideas. AT
Green Bay, Wis, the dopesters say,
he will back Third Party Bob LaFol-
lete as easily as he'll back Republicans
Bronson Cutting and Hiram johnson
or anyone else who fights for his
New Deal" Roosevelt, the aristo-
crat, will be the man of the masses
against Wall street, at any rate for
this election, they say.
Meanwhile Roosevelt will let them
say and bide his time. But as his bat
tleship bears him on his way, he may
well reflect that war preparedness de-
mands a populace beliveing that the
national leader is their agent and not
the agent OF their masters.