Evening star., 1939-09-17
Pan-American ParIey
This Week 10 Seek
Policy Of Joint Action
A Wiser U. S. Won't
Repeat l9l4-l5 Error
Of Wilson and Bryon
By BLAIR BOLLES.

BY BLAIR BOLLES.
The aim of the extraordinary Pam
American Conference which meets
at Panama next Saturday apparent
ly is the birth of the Western Hem
isphere United Front, policy Of
Joint action of the Americas with
regard to war in Europe or to war
In this part of the world, if 1t
should spread across the ocean.
This would be of the greatest sig
niflcace in this country's view in
marking a turn away from the
United States traditional inde-
pendence in foreign affairs. AS far
as Washington is concerned, 1t is a
step prompted by the demands of
complete preparation for meeting
the problems of war.
Behind this suggested metamor-
phosis of the so-called good neigh
Dor policy into something more real
and forceful is the administrator
determination not to repeat the er-
ror made by President Wilson and
Secretary of State Bryan in 1914 and
1915. They reacted tepidly to the
proposals put at the time by the
South American countries that the
Americas adopt common stand on
their position as neutrals. The re-
suit of this indifference was a hesi-
tation on the part of several South
American republics to follow the
United States lead in severing re-
lations with and then going to war
on Germany.
Pact Provides for Action.
President Wilson and Secretary OF
State Lansing, Mr.. ,Bryan's sue
cessor, in 1917 considered a general
Latin American belligerency toward
the central powers an essential prop
in support of this country's military
undertaking of 1917. But Argentina
Chile and Mexico, three of the four
largest Latin American republics,
remained neutral to the wars end
as did Colombia, which ranked still
over the loss of its Panama territory
through the assistance of the United
States; Venezuela, whose President
Gomez was partial to the Germans,
and Paraguay and Ell Salvador.
The idea of a neutral solidarity is
expressed in the Argentine Anti-War
Pact of 1888, to which the United
States is an adherent. The invoca-
ton of the pact itself could hardly
accomplish the unity at which the
Panama conference is said to aim
because its signatories are too few
But it sets course of action. It's
Article prescribes the steps to be
taken after its signatories have de-
clined pacific settlement of disputes
Article 3 reads:
In case of non-c compliance by any
state engaged in dispute, with the
obligations contained in the fore
going articles, the contracting states
undertake to make every effort for
the maintenance of peace.
TO that end, they will adopt
In their character as neutrals a
common and solidarity attitude;
they will exercise the political,
juridical or ecopomic means au-
thorised by international law; they
will bring the influence of public
opinion to bear, but will in no
case resort to Intervention either
diplomatic or armed; subject to the
attitude that may be incumbent
on them by virtue of other collective
treaties to which such states are
signatories."
U. S. More Enlightened Now.
The prescription OF diplomatic
and armed Intervention puts this
treaty on a different footing from
the sort of joint action set forth
in the League of Nations Cove
nant, which the United States
4 refused to approve. The Anti
War Pact is the basis for common
action of neutrals without requiring
that they undertake military or
diplomatic punitive expeditions.
Neutrals in wars have much the
same problems, and a neutral in
one war has a similar problem in
the next war. Thus the situation
of the American neutrals in 1899
is a good deal like their situation in
1914. The difference now Is that
the United States has a more en-
lightened view of it's relations with
the governments to the South and
Is prepared to cooperate with those
governments instead of rebufing
them as she did Is years ago.
The Argentine government took
the lead in 1914 in proposing an
American unity, at least in attitude.
Buenos Aires asked Washington
early In the autumn of 1914 for in
formation regarding protests against
British interferences with the neu-
trails trade on the seas. The United
States supplied Argentina with the
information.
Then the Argentine Minister pro-
posed for his government to Mr..
Bryan that the two nations come to
a common decision on making pro-
tests. The Secretary of State felt
that joint representation should be