Evening star., 1938-01-30
Fascist Nations Challenge
Rule of Monroe Doctrine
Not With Military but With Economic Resources
Are Italy and Germany Penetrating
South and Latin Americas.

cations In full-a contingency which II
foreseen-they will be asked to meet their
payments and obtain some extra cash ty
giving Italian companies-that Is to say,
the government-long-term concessions for
the exploitation Of their natural resources.
Arms Sales.
Thus the Republic of Nicaragua has pur.
chased from Italy 500 tons Of war material
which was delivered a few weeks ago. A
similar amount of ammunition and arms
has been delivered to Ecuador, while Par.
aguay has received an important ,onsien-
ment Of military planes.
This war material is obsolete. Most of
the planes had been used in the ETHIOPIAN
campaign, while the ammunition and the
guns are old models. no longer fit for a
modern army like the Italian. But they
are good enough for South American war
fare.
Ihe Chaco problem Is not vet settled.
There Is threat of war between Mica
ragua and Honduras and other minor tnn.
hicts are in the ofing The State Depart
ment and American diplomats in Central
and South America are endeavoring to pre-
vent hostilities by urging the contenders
10 accept mediation and arbitration. The
sales OF arms and ammunition from the
United States is strictly supervised sid
the manufacturers demand cash pay.
ments.
Italian diplomats, however, point out the
lnef1ectiveness Of this arbitration -meoia.
ton policy. They underscore their achieve
ments in Ethiopia, japanese victories IN
China and German abrogation of the YER
sallles and other treaties. The !amentatle
failure Of the recent Brussels conference
has been exploited skillfully. The Latin
American dictators are urged to take the
law into their own hands and settle their
disputes with their neighbors like men ard
not like sissies.
Peaceful How Long.
The Italian and the German govern
ments maintain that theirs Is q policy Of
peaceful penetration Of the South Amer
ican continent. But how peaceful will
the penetration remain? insignificant
boundary disputes may become little wars,
and little wars, nourished with fuel ty the
totalitarian states. may develop into major
conflicts. Discomfort can be famed into
rebellion and the green or the black or
the yellow shirts-supported by Berlin
and Rome-can create e state Of con.
fusion ripe for Italian or German intsrven.
ton.
The nationals and former nationals of
italy and Germany are required by their
governments to cooperate with them for
the good Of the mother country" They
are provided with every conceivable means
to make pacific penetration . success
Italian ana German news agencies rot
only oner their services gratis to papers
which cannot pay, but occasionally even
contribute to their maintenance,
The Italian and the German radio eta.
tions have special programs several times
DAY Tor the Latin American public.
These programs are excellent and to the
taste OF the listeners. The news broad
casts are carefully colored to serve the
political purposes Of the totahtarian states.
Though these efforts are not yet rro-
ducing striking results in the major South
American republics, they are making i'm.
portant headUay IN the smaller states.
Vargas Friendly to U. S.
The decision of Getul;o Vargas to pro-
claim himself dictator Of Brazil WAS hailed
IN Berlin and Rome as another signal vic
tory OF the totalitarian theology. 1t was
regarded as such by tie informed in this
country, too. But recent reports from Rio
indicate that Vargas has not vet aban.
doned Brazil's traditional policy CT friend.
ship and cooperation with the United
States. Despite large purchases of Bra.
lillian cotton by the German government.
we remain Brazil's best customer. As a
token Of his good will toward America.
vargas has rejected the offers Of the die
tators' navy yards and is ordering from
this country s5,000,000 worth Of DESTROYER
parts for the Brazilian navy.
Argentina, where pro-British sentiment
Is strengthened by close financial and eco
noraic ties, is also deaf for the time being
to the German-Ttalian suggestions.
The southern continent has been divided
by Hitler and Mussolini into two sections
Tor the purpose of penetration. The
smaller states, requiring less financial and
economic effort, are being successfully
worked" from Rome; the major states
where more serious and concentrated
effort is necessary, are being handled by
Berlin.
But in both cases the policy of the
United States. based on the enforcement
OF the Monroe doctrine in Its pristine
purity" is being challenged cleverly. real.
istically. with economic rather than mill
tary resources.
That Is why Mr.. Roosevelt is as much
concerned over conditions in Latin Amer
lea as he is over the Far Eastern situa.
ton. 1t is true that the southern Drive
is, for the time being less dramatic than
that in the East. 1t contains at this time
less dynamic elements But it is, for The
future Of this country. even more inpor-
tant than Is the Pacific invasion
(Copyrisht. 193sJ
e.