Evening star., 1938-04-24
BY WILLIAM E. SHEA.

~~' ~A> ~ Avn plCOCCupdJlOn OF
Americans with the ominous hap
" penings in Europe-the Nazi rape
OF Austria. Mussolini's sabre
fattnng, the dying agonies of oyalist
spain-accounts largely for the fact that
only minimum of attention has been
given IN the press to the astonishing
change brought about literally overnight
IN our relations with Mexico.
On Friday, April l. it seemed that we
we're we'll into another of the long series
OF squabbles which for century have
made our relations with Mexico an inter-
mlttent dog fight. Twenty-four hours later
the tensions had been relaxed President
Cardenas and Secretary of State Hull were
pattlng each other on the back and we
were returned to the harmony existing be-
fore Mexico appropriated properties of
American oil companies-with the chances
reasonably good of our remaining there.
1 am assured on good authority that
President Cardenas' pacificatory remarks
to Ambassador Daniels in Mexico CITY.
which were published in Mexican and
& u
completely smothering the wave of anti
American feeling that was sweeping over
Mexico, attended by mob demonstrations
and even threatened violence to American
tourists on the streets of Mexican towns
and cities.
Effecting this change at a time when
1eellng had reached the stage of angry
passion on one side and aggrieved hurt on
the other, was triumph of diplomacy such
as Washington has not seen in many years
Indeed. putting the matter that way is an
understatement. Actually, nowhere in the
world in the 20 years since the ending Of
the Great War has diplomacy been so
facile or effective in finding and applying
solution to q dispute that had gone so
far and threatened consequences 50 dis
turbing.
Diplomacy's Reputation.
Diplomacy. since the coming of DICTATOR
ships. has been on the defensive-just now
the world is witnessing the death of the
League of Nations. the greatest of all the
attempts the world has made to settle diff
leTellCtS DtlWteIl lldulUIlS ptdCSdDly tNei
the Council table Diplomacys checking
of the widening dispute with Mexico does
something toward rehabilitating its good
repute.
1t is an open secret here that with the
coming of Dr. Castillo ajera to the
United States as Ambassador of the Aztec
Republic a more or less formal UNDER
standing was reached between him and the
American State Department for the bring
ing about of settlement while President
Roosevelt is still in Office of all the many
questions pending between the two coun-
tries Some of them date back many
years. ard all of them are provocative Of
ill-will and misunderstanding. Both gov
ernments we're agreed as to the desirability
of settling. while the chance offered, old
claims and grievances Of one country
against the other and wiping the slate
clean. With this achieved, it was hoped
that the two governments and the two
peoples would begin new era in which
spirit of friendly cooperation would sup
frequent in the past.
That program, for many reasons, ap-
pealed strongly to the present regime in
Mexico. especially to such men as Presi-
dent Cardenas, Finance Minister Suarez
and Ambassador Castillo Najera. None Of
these-indeed, no man occupying a key
post in the Cardenas administration
has any but the friendliest of feelings for
the United States, and all are convinced
Of the importance to Mexico of keeping
relations with the United States on basis
of cordial cooperation. And these men
have really tried. in the face of innumerable
obstacles and difficulties, to put relations on
that basis and keep them there.
Has Justification.
ct should be said that the sharp
illusions to Licenciado Suarez appear
ing in American newspapers are out
rageously Unjust. OF all the public
men Of Latin America he is the very
last who can with reason be called a
jingoist or Yankee hater." Kindly,
courteous, 50 phlegmatic in tempera-
ment as to suggest more the Northerner
than the Latin, he is incapable of feel
ing animosity toward any one on racial
grounds. He has innumerable close
friends among Americans and he likes
nothing 50 much, when on a trip to
washington or New York, as getting q
group Of his American cronies together
for bridge game. That is how he
spends all his free evenings when in this
country
For the Roosevelt administration the
success or failure Of the good neighbor"
policy in all Latin America hinged on
whether or no the new policy of appease-
ment toward Mexico succeeded or failed.
OF all the Latin republics Mexico is the
one which has most justification for con-
tinuing distrust of Uncle Sam, because
twice the United States has Topped off
considerable portions of Mexican terri
tory and absorbed them. Throughout his
tory, Of all causes for persisting rancor on
the part Of one people toward another, the
taking of territory by superior might has
been the most fecund in lasting ill-feeling.
Texas and California once were Mexican,
(