Evening star., 1938-04-10
PAN-AMER|CAN|SM
ATTA|NMENTSFEW
BrotherIy Ideals Ignored.
Continents Close Ties
Secuted.
By CARLOS VIDELA.

by CAhLOS N1bLAAs
NEW YORK, April 9 (N.ANA).-|
Pan-Americanism, doctrine revived
periodically by the governments OF the
Western Hemisphere Ito commemorate
the political, economic and spiritual
unity of the 81 republics of the Ameri-
can continent" will have, by official
proclamation, field day on April IA,
although, for reasons of convenience.
celebrations will be held in many
places two days before.
This year Pan-American Day will
have special significance in view of
the fact that next December the
Eighth Pan-American Conference will
meet in Lima, Peru.
Among the subjects to be consid-
cred by the forthcoming conference
are the creation of an international
high court of justice. the co-ordina-
ton of existing peace treaties, the So
luton of urgent economic problems
affecting the continent, intellectual
cooperation and moral disarma-
ment."
Main Prop of Pan-Americanism.
The main prop of Pan n-Americanism
and one that is invariably stressed in
the speeches called forth by the sub
ject is closer mutual understanding,
eliminating in general acceptance of
the doctrine of the good neighbor'
as the only sound and profitable basis
for these countries to carry on their
varied affairs in this closely integrated
modern world Of ours
Such brotherly effusions have re-
Gently been ignored by extensive re-
armament. seizure of American prop
ETY. by Mexico, invalidation by the
Venezuelan Supreme Court of a Is
per cent cut in oil production taxes
chargeable to American companies.
incresed taxation of other American
and foreign companies by Ecuador "a
country that has just signed barter
agreement with Germany and new
immigration restrictions in Brazil that
may hurt American business there;
also a bloody massacre of Haitians
by Dominicans, a border dispute be-
tween Nicaragua and Honduras,
pilot" to overthrow the Batista regime
in Cuba with alleged backing by
the United States and several in
stances of "cuartelazos," as the po-
litico-military uprisings or attempts
at revolution are known in Latin
America
Race Divisions Noted.
As to the community of race. Fran
cisco Bulnes, one Of the most out
spoken Mexican thinkers. summed up
the whole subject in a paragraph of
one of his books:
Brazil is a nation of black and
white, like Cuba and most of Ven
ezuela. Neither Haiti nor Santo Do
mingo has any Indians. Argentina
is proud of a healthy white popula-
tion descended from Spaniards, Ital-
ians. Germans and other Europeans.
Uruguay is another white nation.
Only in Chile are there any 'Indo-
Latins,' but the majority are Indians
and white. Panama is a mosaic of
Negroes, mulattoes, Chinese, Malays
and few Indians, which gives a
permanent headache to the small
white minority. Most of Costa Rica
is white. Where the Indo-Latins
abound is in Mexico. Nicaragua,
Honduras. Salvador. Guatemala, Ecua-
dor, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Para
quay have strong majority of pure
Indian population, and the 1ndo-
Latins' do not even make up Is per
cent. That Indo-Latin race is the
one we are supposed to worship be-
cause of its power, civilization and
great future
Language Common Bond.
The only common bond would be
the language to some extent. Except
in Haiti, where French is spoken,
and Brazil, whose official language
is Portuguese the rest of Latin Amer
lea speaks a more or less battered
Spanish. Two million Mexicans speak
only Indian tongues.
Such is the background against
which on Pan-American Day speeches
are made about inter-American fra
ternity and common aims" Such
is also the background of the next
Pan-American conference, the latest
of a long series whose practical re-
SulIS nave Deen medger.
The most valuable contribution of
Pan-Amerlcan conferences has been
in the direction Of conciliation and
arbitration of international disputes.
Several treaties have emerged from
these meetings, and some of them
have been ratified by a majority of
the nations represented.
There Is Dominican Colombian
plan for the creation of Pan
American League of Nations" which
will probably find a place on the
agenda of the conference. It is a
curious fact that throughout these
long years nobody seems to have no
ticed the existence of such a Pan
American League of Nations right in
Washington, D. C.-the Pan-Ameri-
can Union which lacks only political
powers to be full-f1edged league.
Pessimistic on Lima Meeting.
Practical experience as a delegate
leads this writer to think that the
accomplishments of the next Pam
American Conference at Lima will
not surpass the achievements of for
mer conclaves.
At this moment, despite the efforts
at conciliation made at the last Pam
American Conference and the exist
,ence of a special international arbi-
tration council in Bueos Aires, the
Chaco war between Paraguay and
Bolivia has not yet been settled. After
two years of sanguinary fighting in
the jungles of the Chaco, peace
protocol was signed June IL, 1885.
Joint efforts by neighboring countries
and the United States (whose rep
resentative. Spruille Braden, has just
been withdrawn and appointed Min
lister to Colombia instead of pro-
ducing a final peace, have only sue
J ceeded in ruffling tempers and rub
bi1g chancelleries the wrong Way,