Evening star., 1938-12-11
South American Trade Struggle
Overshadows Oratory at Lima
Hull Confronted in Task of Extending Bilatera
Treaties by Activities of Germans,
Italians and Japanese
Bv Carlos J. Tidela.

CeAAAeAA AoAA ASSAllCo PlStulC ILLS COuIlITN
as cloaking imperialistic designs with
high sounding words about good neigh
borliness' and defense of the hemi-
sphere" against overseas aggressors, while
not lifting finger to get Britain to give
the Falkland Islands back to Argentina
or Belize to Guatemala. Stress is at the
same time laid on cultural bonds link
ing Latin America with the Old World,
while the United States is depicted, in the
German broadcasts, as "crassly material
istic" and land of gangsters, strikes and
unemployment.
japanese Cultural Angles.
The cultural angle has lately been
taken up by the Japanese, who maintain
for the purpose special Offices in impor-
tant Latin American capitals, like the
Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai at Buenos
Aires-"the japanese Society for Foster
ing Cultural Relations"
Besides the use of blocked marks, by
means Of which the Germans buy quanti-
ties of Latin American products that
these nations cannot sell elsewhere for
Sdo1A, C"O Ot1lCl SlldSS Ill Illc IOdU W
larger trade between the United States
and the republics to the south are: First,
the fact that some of them. like Argen-
tina and Brazil, compete with this coun-
try in the world market for the sale of
the same products, chiefly meat, cotton
and wheat second, the high rate of dol
lar exchange, which often makes it pro-
hibitive for them to buy here.
The Argentine peso, which used to be
quoted at about 40 cents, is now down
to %; Brazilian milreis, formerly at IL
or IL cents, are down to cents; Uru-
guayan pesos, worth over dollar at par.
are quoted at SO cents and the same sit
uation exists, with one or two exceptions,
all along the line. This condition has
compelled Latin American governments
to husband carefully their foreign ex-
change and to allot whatever is available
to importers by quotas. Argentina has
just enacted decree for compulsory
licensing of imports after the New Year
with the result that British and Amer
ican ships are rushing there, skipping
ports Of call, to arrive in Buenos Aires
before the deadline.
Start to Fight Propaganda.
A start has already been made here,
although on timid scale and by means
that have yet to prove useful, to combat
totalitarian anti-American propaganda
in the Western Hemisphere More fire.
quent steamship service, better advertis-
ing of American merchandise in the
Latin nations, "good-will' broadcasts,
visits to the southern republics by Amer
ican naval ships and by cultural mis-
sions, university lecturers and artists to
counteract the effect of adverse propa-
ganda have been suggested as con-
structive means to help United States
trade in the south.
Britain, with century and quarter
of experience there, is careful to keep
showing the flag" from the stern of
her cruisers around Latin America. and
occasionally big British dreadnought
or aircraft carrier puts into South
American port for a goodwill visit.
Prominent Britishers, from the Prince
of Wales and the Duke of Kent to
former viceroys of India. pay periodical
calls on the South Americans. with
gratifying results. Consequently, Britain
is generally known and admired in those
parts.
On the other hand. the movies are
the chief means by which the United
States is known south of the Rio Grande.
The impression they create of this coun-
try on the Latin American moviegoer
is not always favorable. American war
ships rarely call at South American
ports, and very little or nothing is known
there about the cultural, educational or
artistic life of this country. All of which
makes the task of the European propa-
gandist easier and contributes in good
measure, besides the purely economic
factors above named, to add to the grav-
ity of the problem facing the United
States in combating the penetration Of
Latin America by the Germans, Italians
and Japanese.
Copyright 1887