Evening star., 1938-01-30
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

N FEBRUARY, 1884, q delegation rep
resenting various peace organizations
i called on President Roosevelt to urge
limitation Of armaments, and intimated
that the big Army and Navy programs
demanded by the President from Congress
were not in accord with the ideals ex-
pressed in his speeches and the good
neighbor policy adopted by the White
House and the State Department.
The President replied by pointing out
that Italy was annexng Ethiopia, which
meant that all Of Africa-with the ex-
ception Of Lberia-would be under Eu-
ropean rule, and that the japanese were
planning to take over all Of China.
South America therefore, remained the
only unexpected region in the world
and he feared that the hunters of raw
materials would turn toward that con-
tinent.
Il am determined" he said, that
not an inch Of Latin American soil shall
fall into European hands"
He added that he was opposed to any
trade agreements between Latin Ameri-
can republics and Europe, If such agree
ments Disseminated against the United
States.
In Its Pristine Purity.
Il am a believer in the Monroe doctrine"
concluded Mr.. Roosevelt, "and when
say that, mean the Monroe doctrine in
its pristine purity"
Mr.. Roosevelt was prophetic in his pre-
dictions. Ethiopia has been annexed by
the Italians the japanese are completing
the conquest Of China, and now the
1talo-German penetration in South Amer
lea Is making rapid headway.
Though the change in the form Of
government IN Brazil, where President
Getuho Vargas has assumed dictatorial
powers, has been the most spectacular
event in the course Of the last few months,
1t is worrying the State Department and
the White House less than the systematic
penetration Of the Italians in some Of the
smaller republics Of the Southern con-
tinent.
The spearhead Of Italian penetration
tains immense deposits Of unexpected raw
materials-gold, silver. oil, tungsten. cop
per, iron.
Co-operates With Italy.
President Benevides-a dictator-has
co.operated amicably with the plans Of
the italian government. The chief asset
Of Mussolini In Peru IS the Banco 1taliana,
powerful financial organization whose
head, An Italian, is the financial adviser
Of the4 President This bank controls the
Lima street railways, the electric light,
the textile and macaroni factories. In
recent months an Italian mission has
been training Peruvian aviators while q
group Of Italian specialists have retrained
the police force The Caprone airplane
factory has established a branch which
holds q virtual monopoly of the sale Of
airplanes to the Peruvian Army
A Black Shirt party has been subsidized
bership is increasing swiftly. The press
receives its foreign news mainly from
the Italian government news agency,
Stefani, and there are special daily broad
casts from Italy to Peru.
Italian diplomacy is hard at work in
several South American republics. In
many instances it has an advantage over
American diplomacy, which breaches the
good neighbor policy and endeavors to
settle amicably the existing boundary dis
putes. The Italians advocate the Roman
method" and support their arguments by
providing arms and ammunition on small
down payments and long credits. Should
these governments fail to meet their obli-