Evening star., 1938-07-17
Liberal Credit Policy May Forge
Friendship Of Pan>America
United States in Position to Spike Guns of Dictators
Economic War for Rich Market
of Our Neishbors.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
TINE weather reports which the skip
pers Of Uncle Sans ship of state
receive are ominous. Daily bull
letins from Europe indicate storms
There is already typhoon In the Far
East with little. if any, possibility Of its
subsidence In the near future.
There seems to be only one spot where
the weather may be described as "foegy,
with the possibility Of clearing" That is in
the Southern Hemisphere. right at Uncle
Sans doorstep. Those who honestly desire
to avoid sentimental entanglements are
urging the Washington shippers to set the
course Of our ship straight for those Shores
An eficient and durable cooperation be-
tween the two continents, so different
racially and Intellectually, can be brought
about principally by closer economic ties
The administration has repeatedly stated
that American isolationism is dead" We
live in a world in which it is impossible to
build Chinese wall around the United
States and live behind 1t until the storm is
over, according to Mr. Roosevelt and Sec
retary Hull.
Strong Notes for the Record.
In the Far East all thought Of ~ "ener-
getic policy" has been abandoned Some
months ago there were many in the sd-
n1inistration who advocated a strong-ar
policy toward Japan. This is now a thing
OF the past. Strong notes will continue to
be dispatched to Toxic every time the in
terests of American citizens are discrim-
mated against. But these manifestations
are only formal devices to place the State
Department "on record" The administra-
ton intends to do nothing more. And
Toxic receives the dispatches in that spirit.
In Europe the situation is more perilous
for those who don't believe in fighting Q
war unless cur shores are ENDANGERED"
Our ties with the European democracies
are stronger than they appear on the sur
face and the trends which are being created
in this country could eventually bring us
to the same position as was ours in 1915 1t
Is frankly admitted in responsible quarters
that 1.-The American people will not stand
for outlawish activity by Europeans against
our legitimate trade" The translation of
these words is this: In the event of another
European confagrstion, only Great Britain
and France will be able to continue to buy
goods from us. The Spanish conflict has
shown how ruthless the opposing camp can
be In their determination to prevent any
kind Of commodities reaching the ports of
their enemies. Hence, the potentialities of
. conflict between this country and those
which cannot have access to our markets in
time of war are even greater today than
they were between the years of l914-19l7.
German and Italian diplomats have no
illusions about where we will stand in the
event Of another war: The United States
will be on the side of Great Britain and
France within less than three months after
the outbreak of hostilities," report Fascist
and Nazi diplomats to their chiefs
1t would be unfair and untrue to accuse
the White House and the State Department
Of deliberately planning to embroil us in 4
European war. But our diplomats see in
an eventual victory of the Central Powers
and Japan over the European democracies
o severe blow to our interests In the
Western Hemisphere.
Seek to Drive Wedge.
IN the last two years, particularly during
the last IL months, there has been a ire
mendous drive by the totalitarian states to
enlist the sympathies Of the Central and
South American republics for their philos-
ophy. Two main instruments are being
used for that purpose: Propaganda which
exploits an old and deep feeling of suspicion
against American imperialism, and close
sconomic relations.
The good neighbor policy of the United
States Is fairly new departure. 1t wss
inaugurated by Secretary Stimson and has
grown fast under the present Roosevelt
administration. But seven years of such
decent and honest policy has not been suf-
foient to eradicate the suspicious from the
minds Of the Latin Americans, who for
several decades have been complaining
against the coercive methods of the North
American governments when the nag was
following the trade. True, many Latin
American statesmen see clearly that this
Il q new era in Pan-American relations; but
there Is an overwhelming number Of people
in the southern continent who suspect the
motives OF the United States Government
and lend friendly ear to the propaganda
from Berlin and Rome, which says: This
good neighbor policy Is dictated by tenn
porary expedients. As soon as the present
difnculdes are over you will see the same
dictatorial and erasping Uncle Sam you
have known for 50 long time. The leopard
does not change his spots.
This statement is made with many varia-
tions and Conclusive illustrations" in
Spanish and in Portuguese from the several
short wave broadcasting stations in Ger
many and Italy. 1t is repeated in French
and in German and in Italian by diplo-
mats business representatives. lecturers and
newspaper writer's to South American po-
liticos and business men. 1t is spread by
word Of mouth to their neighbors and
friends by the German and Italian settlers