The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-23
~PAN-AMERICAN ECONOMICS

THE friendship of the other American re-
I publics for the United States is rapidly ap-
preaching the point at which it will be definite,
ly, firmly, and permanently established or its
flaws exposed.
While there have been some signs of down
right sincerity in declarations of cordially and
good will by certain of our American neigh
bors, others have confined themselves to kind
words and hand-laspasing in public and kicks
under the table. Now, with an economic peril
too vast to appraise staring them in the face,
these neighbors must look to the United States
for sterilization of m and leadership
or fall prey to them.
Governments to the south, particularly on
the continent of South America, are awake to
the fact that if the totalitarians become SUI:
preme in Europe their new power will extend
to the direction of trade relations between the
reconstructed Europe and the chief sources of
commodity supplies in this hemisphere. In
other words, HITLER will be position to dictate
trade terms as indisputably as he has dictated
armistice terms to France. And under those
terms, if the Prussian spirit of the conqueror
is properly estimated, the advantage will lie
entirely with his government. The sea lanes
Of commerce, upon which the very existence of
many South American republic depends, will be
marked with traffic signals set up by Berlin
and woe betide the ship that fails to observe
thon Whatovor nroftc- oonr1o from Doct. T.
commerce between South America and the new
Europe will drift into the Golfers of the die
tators.
with this prospect, at last clearly e%nvision-
ed in the capitals of that continent, the govern
ments most deeply concerned trun to Wash
cry. The time has come when the greatest of
the American republics is solicited to be in fact
as we'll as theory the big brother of the Ameri-
cas-.
AS usual, the United States is ready to take
on the task. President ROOSEVELT has in mind
an nter-American alliance which will include
economic defense designed to supplement our
military defense program" The plan, as the
President revealed it at his Hyde Park press
conference, is INTENDED as a further safeguard
for the peace of this hemisphere and as a
means of protecting our economy and the econo.
mics of the other American republics from the
repercussions of the disturbed international
SITUATION 1t would set up either a group of
corporations, each to handle a specific export
commodity or a single corporation with separ-
ate bureaus for different commodies. The par
ticipating republics would subscribe to the re-
quired capital. The Presidents summary de-
scribes the venture as an appropriate inter.
American organization for dealing with GER.
tain basic problems CT their trade relations,
including an effective system of joint market
ing"
Until the interested governments reply, it
would be foolish to speculate on the outcome.
But it may be pointed out that if doubt were
present in any American capital that the Unit
ed States is in deadly earnest in it's determine
ton to save this hemisphere from ruin, wheth-
er economic or military, the Presidents quick
response to the appeal of the n%eighbor republics
should set it at rest.