Evening star., 1940-07-23
Mandate Plan
Offered by U. 5.
Al Havana
BoIivio to Propose
Defense RuiIroud
Linking Coasts
BY the Associated Press.


HAVANA, July 23.-The United
States, delegation placed before the
an-American Conference today a
project designed to set up machinery
Immediately for an inter-American
mandate over European possessions
in this hemisphere.
The mandate would become ef-
fective in case such possessions were
menaced with a change of SOW
ereignty.
The United States project was
submitted in the firm of proposed
convention to bind the 81 American
countries into a joint trusteeship of
the various European colonies in
this hemisphere.
A separate resolution called for
the establishment of committee
to take over any possessions which
might be menaced prior to ratifica-
ton of the joint trusteeship by the
convention.
A project for building a great
trans-continental railway through
the steaming jungles and noun
tains of South America as a de-
tense measure was expected to be
presented to the conference late to-
day or tomorrow under the spon-
sorship of Bolivia.
Meets Keen Interest.
This project met with keen inter-
est in conference halls. Some dele
gates believed the plan to link the
Atlantic with the Pacific in Lower
South America would be almost
as good as another Panama Ca
nal' for defense purposes.
Bolivia's plan. which has not yet
been made public in detail, would
establish right-of-way westward
from the port of Santos in Brazil to
africa in Chile, crossing through Bo-
livia.
If the project is considered feas-
ible. 1t is likely to gain support from
most Of the West Coast countries,
all of which are eager to see an
open path from the Atlantic to the
Pacific for trade as well as defense
reasons.
If such a railway were estab-
lished, it could be used for the
transportation of troops from west
coast to east coast points without
moving them through the Panama
Canal or around the Horn through
the Straits of Magellan.
Hull Heads Peace Group.
These and other questions in
volving Pan-American defense were
considered after Secretary of State
Hull was elected president of the
all-important Peace Preservation
Commission at the conference.
Besides the Peace Commission,
the Neutrality and Economic Com
missions began deliberations.
Leopold Melo of Argentina, who
has cautioned the conference
against actions based on "conjec-
tural hypothesis" was elected presi-
dent of the Neutrality Commission
and Eduardo SuareZ, Mexican FL
nance Minister, was named chair
man of the Economics Commission.
A Coordination Commission
which will be responsible for such
details as translating resolutions,
went to work long before the three
main commissions convened.
A. A. Berle, jr., a United States
delegate, attended sessions of the
Neutrality and Economics Commis-
SionS as an observer.
Argentina Hesitant.
Already apparent was Argentina S
hesitating attitude toward broad
commitments which might affect her
future trade relations with Europe
and which she feared might result
in losses which would not be Offset
on concrete economic benefits from
the United States or other American
republics.
Delegates of other nations, how
ever, generally supported Secretary
Hull's version of dangers besetting
the New World because of aggressive
military and economic methods on
other continents.
Mr.. Hull, seemingly .undiscouraged
by the Argentine position similar to
that at the Lima Conference in
1888, moved ahead with drafting of
resolutions embodying his Govern
ment's proposals.
He clearly was receptive to
notifications to incorporate the
views of other governments.