Evening star., 1937-04-11
NY Ac,r0NJ NICDuAY
By GASTON NERVAL.
THERE are few countries which
can speak on matters Of inter-
national law with greater


THERE are few countries which
can speak on matters of inter-
national law with greater
L authority than Mexico.
In the practical decisions of world
politics, 1t may be size, armed strength
or physical power which give the right,
nay, the privilege to talk and to act,
but in questions Of law, be it among
men or among nations, 1t Is not size
or power, but clean record which
gives authority, and . right to speak.
And . clean record in the case OF
nations means not only abstinence
from ofense, that Is from aggression
or violation of the established rules,
but, also, service in the advancement
Of international ethics, active duty in
the front Of peace.
For some time now, Mexico has been
in the vanguard Of the movement for
the organization Of international
peace, a movement which has for its
basis the promotion of law in the
relations Of independent, self govern
ing states, and for its aim the universal
acceptance Of definite principles which
may. ultimately, substitute reason and
justice for force and greed In the con-
duct of nations toward one another.
Stanch Champions.
At Geneva, since Mexico's entrance
into the League; at the several pan
American conferences, at all other
international gatherings of major or
minor import, the Mexican delegations
have been among the stanchest cham
pions Of such principles, and they have
earned for Mexico the gratitude Of the
pregressives and the internationally
minded everywhere.
Between conferences, furthermore,
while most Of the chancelleries OF the
world were either too involved in poll
tlcal maneuverings or too timid, the
Mexican foreign Office has lost no op-
portunity to keep up the struggle and
thus increase Mexicos contribution to
the advancement Of law and justice
in the international sphere.
Some of the outstanding features
OF that contribution are still fresh in
the memory Of newspaper readers:
The Estrada doctrine, tending to elm
mate the troublesome problem Of rec
ognition Of revolutionary governments
and to avoid the excesses and abuses
committed in its name by the strong
er nations at the expense Of the weak
er; the Mexican peace code, a project
Of permanent code for the judicial
settlement Of all differences arising
among the American republics, intel
ligently combining and o-ordinating
the main provisions Of the various
peace instruments in existence, and
probably the most complete and prac-
tical scheme of its kind drafted to
this day; the Puig Casauranc pro-
posal for a continental pact Of mu-
tual defense; the Ceniceros nine point
declaration of policies, veritable
symposium of international ethics
adopted by the man then in charge Of
Mexican foreign affairs, and last, but
not least, the declaration Of American
solidarity and the protocol on nom
intervention, the two most significant
fruits of the recent Buenos Aires con-
ference, in the adoption Of which Mex
leo played the leading role.
Expresses Concern Over Spain.
1t is this record which gives Mexico
authority to speak in the name of in
ternational law, and it is only fitting
that it should be Mexico which now
calls the attention of the world to a
situation in which all precedents Of
international morality are being dis
regarded. To be consistent with its
own record, the Mexican government