Evening star., 1938-11-13
Monroe Doctrine CHALLENGED
BY Concerted Opposition
The Impact of Totaltarian Ideology and Economics,
Threatens to Jar United States From
Its Complacency.
By Constantine Broom.

Last spring, soon after the annexa-
ton Of Austria, German diplomats dis
cussed casually with unoff1cial but in
fluential Americans the future of the
world. The Germans said: "You must
realize that the onward march of the
militaristic powers can no longer be
stopped by sermons on the blessings of
the democratic system and on the
sanctity of treaties, most of which were
formulated on the basis of world leader
ship by the democracies. The total-
tartan idealogy-which in essence is
more democratic than your so-called
democracy-is bound to spread or be
forced upon nations. The world created
after the last war will crumble On
the ruins will be erected three en-
pires; one In Europe, dominated by the
BerlinRome axis; one in the Far East
dominated by Japan to the exclusion of
all whites races and one in the West
ern Hemisphere which will necessarily
be dominated by the United States.
This new map will be founded on mill
tary strength. You yourselves will real
ize sooner or later that only huge navies,
huge air forces and huge armies can
guarantee political and economic peace"
Though our State Department did not
like the frank talk of the Germans they
were reassured by the implied recogni-
tion of the sanctity of the Monroe Doc
trine and believed a sharp conflict with
Europe over the markets of South Amer
lea would be avoided.
Recent thorough investigations, how
ever, indicate that even in what we
thought would be the exclusive field Of
the United States, even in South Amer
lea, where we hoped We would maintain
the democratic form of government, our
position is now being challenged.
Our Influence Threatened.
From the Rio Grande to Cape Horn,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts,
representatives of the totalitarian states
trade on the tremendous prestige gained
in the last few weeks by the Rome
Berlin Toxic axis to diminish our in
fluence.
German, Italian and japanese goods
of, we say, questionable quality are
rapidly replacing the manufactured
products of the United States. Long
term credits, running in some cases
over a period of several years, are being
granted. The German or the Italian
exporter does not have to bother with
the established policies of this bank"
when granting credits. The government
decides and the government takes the
responsibility of being repaid. The man
ufacturer merely produces the goods;
the government does the rest, advertis-
ing, selling and financing.
We are not doing so badly ourselves,
say the officials of the State Department.
They cite statistics to show that while
in 1896 the total American exports to
South America amounted to 31.5 per
cent of the total business of the contl-
nent, in 1887 they amounted to 347 per
cent. In the same years the German
exports decreased from 1874 per cent to
1876 per cent. This is encouraging-ofh
cially, at least But it is less encouraging
when we consider that in some OF the
Central American republics, the German
export business has increased by 500 per
cent in the last 10 years-to the detrl-
ment of the American exporter.
Latin American experts maintain that
we could reconquer the lost markets by
a more liberal credit policy. Means to
rectify past mistakes are contemplated.
The Export Import Bank will ask Con-
gress for substantial amount of money
something like half billion dollars
to finance long-te.m credits to South
American importers.
U. S. Official to Seek Remedy.
Laurence Duggan, head of the Division
of the South American Republics in the
State Department, left last week on a
trip which will keep him in the Southern
continent until next spring. He will dis
cuss with American official and unofficial
representatives the best means to meet
the challenge of the totalitarian states,
and how the administration can further
help to promote better business with our
Latin American friends.
The Department of Agriculture plans
early next year to establish agricultural
stations in Latin America. At the pres
ent moment four are contemplated. One
in Panama, one in some country of the
Southern Pacific, third in Rio de
Janeiro and a fourth in the Caribbean
Islands. These stations will study the
crops our Southern neighbors could raise
without competing with this country and
ways to combat certain diseases which
are harming their rubber and coffee
plantations.
Unfortunately relations between our
selves and the Southern Continent are
no longer exclusively an economic prob
lem. There are. in addition, political
issues, not so much between the United
States and the Latin American repub-
lies, but between this country and the
European and Asiatic powers. The va
ndity of the Monroe Doctrine has become
the burning problem of the day. 1t is
no longer question of preventing one
European power from penetrating South
America or creating trouble there or of
sending warships to protect the ma
tionals." The question is whether we
will be faced with concerted action from
all non-American powers to remove us
completely from that continent. We are
faced with military political problem
bf the first magnitude, whether we like
IN ody,oit II or mt