Evening star., 1936-04-19
BETTER PAN.ANERICAN
FEELING is IN PROSPECT
Conference for Maintenance of Peace
to Be Held This Summer
at BuenOs Aires.

alton. prompted Mr. Roosevelt to at
tempt a policy of pan-Americanism.
His Wilson Foundation dinner speech
in December. 1888. contained the
embryo of that policy.
In the subsequent months Mr..
Roosevelt's 'good-neighbor" policy
was discovered to be no longer an
empty expression. The United States
adhered strictly to the Stimson doc
trine Of non-intervention. That policy
arose from the last Nicaraguan un-
rest when American business firms
shouted for help in the disturbed area
and Secretary Stimson Informed them
that no more cruisers and Marines
would be available. They were told
that they must share the risks and
dangers with the other nationals in
revolution-ridden countries. The
United States Government would
provide means to repatriate its citi-
zens whose lives might become en-
dangered, but that was all.
The Platt amendment, which gave
this country the questionable privi-
lege Of interfering in Cubas involved
internal affairs, has been Cancelled.
The little republic of Panama. hitherto
regarded as a dependent of the United
States, became a de facto independent
country few weeks ago, when the
new American-Panamanian treaty
was signed. And, finally, the Marines.
who have been policing Haiti since
1921. have been withdrawn.
But even those gestures of the
President-sincere as they were
would not have helped much to-
ward a pan-American understand
ing had it not been for the growing
tension in Europe and Asia and the
| increased dangers of another world
war.
The neutral rights Of the Latin
American countries-or so at least
most South American diplomats think
that in the next war they will be
| further abused, unless a real political
/ and economic understanding with the
United States can be reached.
Good Neighbor" Policy a Fact.
The decks were cleared for action
by Mr.. Roosevelt in his message to
the Congress on January 3, 1886. The
policy of good neighbor' among the
Americas" said the President, lis no
longer a hope-no longer an objective
to be accomplishment is fact, active,
present, pertinent and effective"
The stage is now set for the Inter
American Conference for Maintenance
Of Peace, Invitations to attend that
conference were sent to Latin Amer
lean countries last February and all.
except Paraguay, have accepted, to
meet some time this Summer in
BuenoS Aires. The selection of place
and time for the conference un-
doubtedly has been prompted by mo-
tives of internal policies.
The presidential campaign will be
in full swing this Summer. The
foreign policies of the Roosevelt ad-
ministration hitherto have been Mega
tive. None of the conferences in
which the administration plunged so
enthusiastically has accomplished
anything. A successful conclusion of
the Inter american Conference might
obliterate the failure in other fields
of international policy of the present
regime.
The selection of the Argentine cap
ital as the seat for that conference is
motivated by the fact that the Ar
gentine foreign secretary, Saavedro
Lamas, needs certain amount OF
glamour for himself. Lamas, who is
not popular in his own country, is
determined to make name for him
self as the outstanding diplomat in
South America.
The Argentine foreign minister was
none too kindly disposed toward the
United States until he met Mr.. HUI
at Montevideo. The American Secre.
tary of State overlooked the stringent
rules of protocol and called on hi
Argentine colleague first. He pointed
out to him at that time what an i'm
portant role he could play in the es
tabliShment of friendlier relations be
, tween the two continents. Cordel
Hull can be persuasive; after a few
!, weeks of contact with Saavedro Lama
, the two secretaries parted as bosom
friends. Hull promised his Argentine
, colleague full support of the nomina
: ton for the Nobel peace prize. TIL
promise never materialized, but tina
. was not Mr.. Hull's fault.
> During the postwar period, when
:. Continued on Third Page)