Evening star., 1937-05-02
POSSIBILITIES GREAT
In NEUTRALITY LAW
Growth of European Doctrines in South
and Central America Might
Be Aided.

+ embargo on United States arms would
have Any European power or COM
bination of European powers could
determine the fate of such a conflict
by discriminating in the sale of the
implements of war. Obviously such
preferences would be expected to oe
rewarded at the end Of the war.
Another Spain Possible.
The same. and with even greater
reason, could be feared of a civil war
in any of the large Latin American
states-not simple coup d'etat of
the type so we'll known in that part
of the world. but a real internal
struggle in which sharply divided
groups were fighting bitterly over
conflicting PHILOSOPHERS OF life II
the arms factories and the ports of
the United States were closed. again
the European powers could decide the
outcome of the strife by providing
the faction they wished to win with
the material elements of victory. Any
Southern republic might thus con-
celvably be converted into a new
Spain.
A less remote danger may be offered
by the desire of some European pow
ers to assure themselves of permanent
sources of supply Of raw materials
which are essential for war and for
the sustenance of the civil population
In times of war. Threatened with the
limitations and difficulties which
would be imposed upon the acquisition
OF such materials in the United States,
the European powers would naturally
turn to those Latin American countries
which possessed them, and enter into
far-reaching agreements to insure
their permenent availability Here,
again, it so happens that the Euro
pean nations most in need of such raw
materials are precisely those which
have identified themselves with fasc-
ism, and that is no mere coincidence,
but the inevitable consequence of
economic and social laws The impli-
cations Of such permanent contacts
with Latin American countries are
easy to detect, for the propagation in
them of Fascist doctrines, which would
naturally ensue. would introduce a
new and tremendous problem in the
New World, supposedly the continent
devoted to the advancement of democ-
racy.
Factories Might Be Encouraged.
Moreover, those contacts may be
carried step further to include the
encouragement of construction Of arms
and munitions factories in Latin
America, upon which those same
European powers could depend for
additional and permanent sources Of
supply Of war weapons, to offset United
States embargoes. Apart from pro-
noting armamentism and militarism
on this side of the Atlantic, two con-
ditions incompatible with the pam
American ideal of family of good
neighbors," any action by particular
European power to control arms
sources in a Latin American country
would be Immediately countered with
a similar move by a rival European
nation in some other part Of the
Southern republics, creating thus a
competitive struggle which might not
stop short of transplanting to the
Western Hemisphere traditional Euro
pean rivalries and hatreds.
These considerations may seem
somewhat far fetched today. but they
| cannot be overlooked entirely in a
long range appraisal Of the possible
effects Of current neutrality" pro-
posals in the United States.
| CCopyrixht, 1879