Evening star., 1938-12-07
Castle Speaks Tonight
Al |nfer-Amerimn
Conference
800 H9ur Green and
Others Tell of u. S.
Influence Southwurd

William II. CdSCle, 1OTIncr UQQer.
secretary of State, will be principal
speaker at tonight's session of the
three-day Inter American Confer
ence which opened last might at
the United States Chamber of Com
merce Building.
The conference, sponsored by the
er-American Center at George
Washington University, is consider
ing the question, Can the United
States Retain Latin American Trade
and Cultural Relations Against Ger
man, Italian and Japanese Com
petition?"
Before some 800 persons attending
the first session last night, three
speakers, including Senator Theo-
dore Green of Rhode Island, a men,
ber Of the Senate Foreign Affairs
Committee, made the following
points:
l. The United States is more than
holding her own, compared with
other nations, in her trade relation
ships with Latin America.
2. The United States is woefully
behind other nations in cultural in
f1uence on the Latin American
countries.
Adequate Transportation Lacking.
3. Despite expansion of aviation
and merchant marine transportation
IN the United States, there is still
long way to 60 to have adequate
transportation between the two con-
tinents
4. The Latin American states are
willing and interested to cooperate
with the United States, but don't
want terms of cooperation dictated
to them.
5. Germany and Italy are making
concerted efforts through radio
broadcasts and aviation to export to-
talitarian doctrine to Latin America,
and, in the case of Germany, every
effort is being made to regain pre-
war trade relations.
In addition to Senator Green, the
speakers were George Grant Mason,
Jr, member of the Civil Aeronautics
Authority, and Max O'Rell Truitt,
member of the United States Mari
time Commission.
Trade Held in U. S. Favor.
Mr.. Mason said aviation has tipped
the trade balance in favor of the
United States despite the strong
efforts being made hS Italy and Ger
many. and expressed the belief that
UNIFIED system Of air transporta-
ton on the American continents and
the resultant binding together of
the sister republics are the best
means of meeting European compe-
tition.
He cited the development of avia-
tlon in South America by the Fascist
countries ard declared:
The time has passed when it can
be doubted that aviation is being
used by Italy and Germany as one
OF the means of winning vast trade
markets and perhaps gaining a DO
lltlcal foothold in our neighbors to
the south"
Mr.. Mason asserted that the
United States trade superiority can
be retained only by cooperative
effort of the Government, industry
and the public.
No Fear of Fascists.
Mr.. Irultt said he was confident
the United States can retain cul-
tural and trade relations against
competition from the Fascist conn
tries.
I'VE are the best customer todav
OF a dozen or more of the Latin
American countries" the maratime
commissioner said, "and at least the
second best market for most of the
rest"
He added that the German svs-
tenn OF barter with the Latin Amer
lean countries is forcing MANY of
the latter to compete with their
own products and is about as sound
economically as the Chain letter
racket"
Germany, he said, is importing
considerably more Latin American
goods than she can consume to in
crease her own exports to those
countries. AS result Germany is
of1erlng these South American prod
ucts upon the free markets of the
world, thus compelling the South
Americans to compete with them
selves.
But Germany and Italy have
made politics their most important
export to Latin America, he said
Alrplanes and radio stations are
promoting totalitarian doctrines
and interests in South America
daily, he told the group.
Seeks Travel Betterment.
He said the best reply to this
would be improvement of trave!
services between the continents,
such as the development of the
Maritime Commission of the Good
Neighbor Fleet between New York
and the east coast of South Amer
lea.
Senator Green likewise was opti-
mlstlc about the trade relationships
between the continents. He pointed
TO figures showing an increase in
our imports from South America
last year over the preceding year,
while Germany imported less. And
the United States is the principal
supplier of almost every one of the
20 republics, he added. Shipping
and financial facilities between the
continents have improved. he stated.
senator Green emphasized, how
ever, that America takes a back
seat to European countries in its
cultural relations. He described |
seeing French plays and italian
opera billed about South America,
put nothing from North America. |
IN the Museum of Fine Arts at
Buenos Aires, series of rooms is
gwen over to art of other countries.
The Senator said there were rooms
Ior spain, Italy, England, France,
Germany and Sweden.
No United States Room.
Il looked in vain for q T1njtod |