Evening star., 1939-05-22
Washington Observations
Demoerocies Not Allowing Home e-stote Cries Of
Hitler and Duce to Check Preparedness Steps

When the question was raised by
Senator johnson Of California dur
ing a debate in the Senate as to
whether Bolivia had followed in the
wake of Germany, DR.. Luis F..
Guachalla, minister of Bolivia, called
on Undersecretary of State Welles
and informed him of the demo-
cratic intentions of the present
regime" in his country. Pleased
with this expression of loyalty to
American ideals, the State Depart
ment realizes, nevertheless, that
totalitarian influences are at work
in a number of the Central and
South American countries. In
number of instances, however, re-
liable reports indicate that these
forces are diminishing rather than
growing in strength.
When Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent of the American Federation
Of Labor from the date of its organ
ization in 1886 until the time of his
death in 1924, except for one year,
conceived the idea 20 years ago that
the workers throughout all the
American republics might benefit
by union of effort, there came into
being the Pan-American Federation
of Labor. Owing to divergences in
working conditions and in scale of
living in the various countries, how
ever, real progress in this movement
was slow, and the federation, after
holding five gatherings, Iapsed into
somnolence. Today a new factor,
political in character, has arisen and
stirred efforts to revive the pam
American federation This is the
danger of Nazi and Fascist influence
on the workers of Latin America.
In an effort to check this threat to
American ideals, Luis N. Morones,
leader in the Mexican Confederation
of Regional Workers, has been here
completing plans with William
Green, president, and other officials
Of the American Federation of La
Dor, to re-establish the pan-Amer-
ican federation.
Significant of the deliberate pro-
cedure adopted by this Government
in giving assent and formal recogni-
ton to changing boundary lines in
Europe is the fact that no action has
yet been taken by the State Depart
ment looking to a change in this
country's customs regulations as ap-
piled to trade with Albania, although
that government for some time past
has been under Italian control. Of
| nclalS say they are awaiting fur
ther clarification" of the situation.
In the case of Czecho-Slovakia, al
though having recognized its inoor-
poration de facto into the Reich, the
State Department in sending debt
| notes for June IS payments to the
other nations, sent no such note to
Czecho-Slovakia in view. as the de-
partment explained, of the cur
rent governmental conditions" in
that country.
With the rapid growth of inter.
national airmail service. special in
terest attaches to the fact that such
service already has been in opera
ton between the United States and
the west coast countries of South
America for 10 years past. The fly
ing time from New York to Panama
is now only one day, officials pointed
out, as compared with three days
from Miami to Panama when the
service was started in 1929. On the
anniversary date, May 18, President
Roosevelt sent felicitous messages to
the presidents Of Colombia, Ecuador
Peru and Chile. saying that this has
helped to make us closer neighbors
and better friends"