Evening star., 1936-10-18

open Cne SWITCHES tIidt feau w otiiei
tracks.
In still another way the Secretary
of State Is at q disadvantage. He has
in general an unusually inept crew
in charge OF our various foreign mis-
sions, and these ill-chosen chiefs
themselves have not adequate expert
assistants because the President has
chosen to try experiments with the
foreign service also. Latin America
can be excluded from consideration
because our relations with that part
of the world are run by Mr.. Sumner
Welles, and the character Of the chiefs
of the various missions does not so
much matter If they are adequate
messengers. 1t Is therefore tragic
that a brilliant ofiicer like Mr.. Hugh
Gibson in Brazil and certain other
service men at the heads of smaller
posts should be stationed where they
are practically wasted.
Thanks to the splendid ability OF
Mr.. Grew in Japan, that most dim
cult situation has been handled with
credit to the United States. So long.
in fact, as the Secretary Of State de-
pends on his trained Far Eastern
division and the advice OF Mr.. Grew
in Japan and Mr.. johnson in China.
we need have no fear Of being involved
in trouble in the Orient. 1t is the one
part Of the world where no mistakes
Of any importance have been made
during the last three years-and
where, incidentally, there has been
little or no change in personnel.
Except for the unspectacular and
completely creditable work Of Mr..
Grew in Japan, Americans have little
reason to be proud of the diplomatic
history of the last three years. BY
pretending that relations between the
were bad when Mr.. Roosevelt took
Office, Government spokesmen draw
frequent and startling contrasts be-
tween 1888 and 1886. Actually rela-
tions had never been better than at
the end of the Hoover administration.
They remain good today because,
partly to overcome the bad effect of
the totally unwarranted American
intrusion into Cuban affairs when
Machado was forced out of ONCE.
the Secretary Of State signed various
friendly treaties at Monteyideo prom
ising never again to intervene.
But good will is not likely to be
very lasting when it is induced by
fiattery and remuneration of our rights.
Nor is it likely TO be permanent when
1t is based on uncertainty. The Secre-
tary of State, in a speech after the
conference at Montevideo, said he
hoped the jurists might soon get to-
gether TO decide what the treaties
mean. And if the jurists should decide
that they mean something different
from what Latin Americans think
they mean is the cordial good fel-
lowship. based on misundersta nding.
going 10 stand the strain of the
truth?
Treaty With Panama.
The administration also signed a
treaty with Panama which the Presi-
dent lauds as placing our relations
OAA a IAuIOuIly odILSAdIbOIy pdSlo. All
American admiral who is a student
Of international affairs said of this
treaty: IF it was designed to give
over the control and operation Of the
Canal TO the republic of Panama. it
has excellently accomplished its pur-
pose"
Fortunately this treaty, unlike the
trade agreements. must 60 to the
Senate for consent TO ratification The
Senators appear to have more regard
for American interests than for the
plaudits of Panama. Both Demo-
cratic and Republican members of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
consider the treaty so bad that they
do not even plan to report it to the
full Senate. And an unratified treaty
has never been a help to friendship.
The last three years have seen the
final failure of the League Disarma-
ment Conference. 1t was not the fault
of the United States that this confer.
ence failed. but we contributed to the
failure by having no concrete sugges-
tions to make. 1t is true that the
President presented his own defini-
ton for the aggressor in war as the
nation which crosses the boundaries
Of another nation, but as this seemed
to be no improvement on other def
nitions it was not even discussed.
The Government had no concrete
suggestion to make at the recent naval
conference in London-a conference
which produced probably the silliest
and most futile naval limitation
treaty ever foisted on tired world.
To this conference the President sent
message urging drastic reductions
and while his proposals were being
presented the delegates were reading
articles in the press or listening to
news items on the radio telling of the
extra hundreds of millions the ad-
ministration was asking for in order
to enlarge the American Army and
Navy.
Acts Louder Than Words.
Acts speak far louder than words.
Nor did the delegates of other nations
forget the provocative gestures of the
last three years, such as the announce
ment, as soon as the Japanese de-
nounced the naval treaties, that the
United States would hold great naval
maneuvers in the North Pacific on the
following Summer. 1t was this which