Evening star., 1936-04-14
Pan-American Day.

sister repuDllcS OF tne tWehty-o
Americas commemorate today another
Pan-American day. At few periods since
it's establishment has it been possible
to record a series of more concrete
achievements in the realm OF inter-
American peace and friendship than
those of the past year. Cardinal points
of differences remain, amid a multiplicity
of varying viewpoints. But events since
April, 1885, supply tangible proof OF
practical progress in solidifying good
neighborliness among the peoples OF the
Western Hemisphere. They are an
augury of steady and widening concilia-
ton in a situation that has long bristled
with mistrust and conflict
Outstanding in recent Pan-American
history is the ending of the Sanguinary
Bolivian-Paraguayan war over the Chaco.
1t was followed by peace between Peru
and Colombia over Leticia. The Dom
inican Republic and Haiti buried their
boundary differences. The United States
and Panama concluded new treaty
which removed ancient causes of con-
troversy. The Platt amendment no
longer shadows Cuban-American rela-
tionS. President Roosevelt renounced
dollar diplomacy" Senate neutrality
legislation excepted Latin American
states from the arms embargo this coun-
try will henceforth impose upon belliger-
ent nations. The Hull reciprocal tariff
program produced trade treaties with
six Latin American states and launched
negotiations with several others.
As the fitting aftermath of these con-
structive developments came President
Roosevelt's project for an extraordinary
conference of Pan-American states to
be convened at BuenoS Aires this year
for the purpose of laying still deeper
the foundations of American fra
ternity That there is cordial desire
to knit ever more closely the ties of
common interest is indicated by the
views of Colombia, Guatemala and the
Dominican Republic, which propose,
while accepting Mr.. Roosevelt's invita-
tion, the formation of league of ma
tions for the Americas. Guatemala also
suggests multilateral pact of mutual
assistance, which would provide for joint
Pan-American action under the Monroe
Doctrine in case of aggression by any
non-American power. President Lopez
of Colombia and President Trujillo of
the Dominican Republic emphasize that
a league of American nations would be
more efficacious for purely American
purposes than the Geneva League. Some
of the Latin American governments
think Western league might in some
degree advantageously supplement the
world organization. President Ubico of
Guatemala favors an American inter-
national court of justice in addition to
a league or association concerned exclu-
sively with Western Hemisphere affairs.
Many ideas will be put forward and
considered before adoption of detailed
agenda for BuenoS Aires. A commits
sion of Latin American diplomats plans
to begin discussion of the agenda in
Washington tomorrow. 1t goes to work
in the well-grounded assurance that
the longing for inter-American peace Or
ganization is universally shared, based,
as it is, upon growing conviction that
the American republics, with problems
essentially their own, should evolve their
solution in detachment from the en-
tangling and war breeding rivalries of
the Old World.