Evening star., 1934-01-07
BY GASTON NERVAL.


TN CHOOSING the Woodrow Wilson
dinner for the most important pro-
nouncement Of his administration
i on Latin American policies, the
President chose an appropriate oc-
casion. Not because that pronounce
ment meant, as most of his listeners
thought, a continuation Of the Wilson,
ian policy toward the Southern repub-
lies, but, on the contrary, because it was
the complete reversion of the principles
and practices which guided such policy.
Strange as it may sound, the PreSi-
dents pronouncement was the negation
of Woodrow Wilson's Latin American
policy Just as much as 1t was the mega
ton Of Theodore Roosevelt's. 1t was
the disavowal Of the paternalistic VII
sonian doctrine of "constitutionaltsm"
just as much as it was the reputation
tude and the policy OF the big stick"
welt.
Suspicious of Intervention.
The legend about Woodrow Wilson's
pan-American idealism has always
puzzled me. The war President" 1t Is
true, made magnificent speeches upon
the equality of States and the lack OF
territorial ambitions on the part Of
the United States. He even suggested
a pact among the American republics
mutually guaranteeing their territorial
integrity. But the forcible acquisition
of land by the United States was not
the only problem involved in inter-
American relations. 1t was not even
the most important. The Latin Amer
leans had long before ceased to fear
territorial encroachments by the great
Colossus Of the North" Their suspicious
were directed exclusively toward the in
tervention habit of the United States,
then in vogue; toward the political and
financial dominance of the Caribbean
nations, which, at that time, seemed to
have the sympathies Of the State De-
partment.
And in this respect, Woodrow Wilson
was not the least offender. As mat
ter Of fact, he was close second 70
Theodore Roosevelt, the man responsible
for the ultimate transformation OF the
Monroe Doctrine into an instrument OF
aggression in Latin America. His ut
terances on international peace and his
promise Of respecting territorial boun-
daries did not prevent him from send
ing marines to Haiti. the Dominican
Republic and Nicaragua, nor did they
imperialistic conduct toward Mexico.
Fundamentally Pacifist.
The reason is simple enough. Wood
row Wilson was, fundamentally, pacl-
fist He was sincerely opposed to ter
ritorial aggressions, AND SO ne gladly
promised the Latin Americans that the
United States would not seek "an addi-
tional foot" Of land. But in matters
polite he was also confirmed, almost
a fanatical, believer in the righteous
ness of the democratic principles OF
government which he championed, and
he believed that such principles should
be spread beyond the national boun-
daries of the United States. In his
idealistic endeavors to propagate the
right kind of government" in foreign
lands which he deemed unable TO prop
erly govern themselves, woodrow VIII
son overlooked at moments that he had
been elected Chief Executive OF the
United States. alone. He disregarded
the sovereignty and the right to self
rule of the neighboring Latin repub-
lies and did not hesitate to resort to
force when force was needed to up
hold his cause.
President Wilson's famous doctrine OF
"constitutionalism." on which his
whole Latin American policy devolved.
was nothing else but the expression OF
that probably sincere, but none the less
amazing, conviction that he was de-
stined to teach the South Americans,
as he once said, Ito elect good govern
ments." His theory of non-recognition
Of revolutionary governments, his mill
tary interventions in Mexico and the
Caribbean republics, his own corollary
to the Monroe opposing non
American commercial concessions IN
the Western Hemisphere-all his Latin
American policy was marked by that
paternalistic attitude, which Latin
Americans resent so deeply.
How Can Pledges Be Harmonized?
How can President Franklin D
RooSevelt's pledge Of non-interyention
and his statement that "the mainte-
nance Of constitutional government in
other nations IS not a sacred obligation
devolving upon the United States alone, -
but "the maintenance Of law and the
orderly processes of government in this
hemisphere is the concern Of each in
dividual nation within its own borders -
be harmoniZed with the principles and
practices which characterized the Latin
American policies Of the Wilson admin
istration? How can the Presidents
pronouncement against Intervention
the first official pledge of its kind ad-
vanced by a Chief Executive Of the