Evening star., 1940-04-14

Yet the successive inter-American con-
ferences developed a great body Of con-
ventions and declarations making for
improved economic and commercial re-
lations between the Americas, no matter
what unhappy phases the political rela-
tions might be undergoing. Andrew
Carnegie, the apostle Of peace, provided
the Pan-American movement with all
anchor by giving the funds for the erec-
ton of the Pan-American Union Build
ing, which was dedicated April 26, 1910
The really great date for the Pam
American movement came many years
later. On March 4, 1888, Franklin Roose-
velt, in his first inaugural address, re-
marked: In the field of world policy
would dedicate this Nation to the policy
of the good neighbor." Popularity the
application Of this phrase has been mar
rowed since then to fit the policy toward
the other Americas. It's enunciation
brought the adoption of new methods for
our dealings with our neighbors.
Plat Amendment Falls.
In the autumn of the year which
brought the good-neighbor policy the
delegates convened in Monteyideo, cap
ital of Uruguay, for the 7th Interna-
tional Conference of American States.
They adopted resolution, approved by
the United States delegates, aimed at
the old bugaboo with which this country
had threatened the others in the past.
mo state has the right to intervene in
the internal or external affairs of an
other" the resolution said. The year
before, the marines had left Nicaragua.
The following year the Platt amendment
was wiped of the statute books.
The move toward political cooperation
went far ahead three years after Monte
video. Then President Roosevelt, newly
elected to his second term, journeyed
himself to an extraordinary Pan-Amer-
ican Conference at Buenos Aires. There
the delegates introduced new principle
into the American system, providing for
consultation among the nations ''in the
event Of war, or virtual state Of war,
between the American states" or "in the
event Of an international war outside
America which might menace the peace
of the American republics"
Conference of 1929.
This would have pleased Secretary
Blaine. His hope for an agreement
among the nations on some method OF
keeping war out of America had not been
near realization at all until 1929, when
the International Conference of Amer
ican States on Arbitration and Concilia-
ton, meeting at the Pan-American Un-
ion, reached comprehensive agreements
on conciliation/ and arbitration In the
event of inter American disputes. The
final stone in the peace structure was
placed by the Lima Inter American Con-
ference of 1898. There the American ma
tions declared their solidarity against
all foreign Intervention or activity that
may threaten them" or emperl their
peace, security or territorial integrity.
On the basis Of the agreement reached
at Lima for consultation in times Of
danger, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs
of the 81 Republics met at Panama last
October and established the American
safety belt, designed to restrict the ac-
tivities of the European belligerents Oh
American shores. It also created the
Inter- American Neutrality Committee
Of seven experts to consider problems
of juridical character relating to neu-
trality, which meets at Rio de Janeiro,
and an Inter-American Financial and
Economic Advisory Committee Of 81
members, one for each republic, to con-
slider the effects Of the war on the econ-
omy Of the American nations and the
measures that should be taken to re-
heve the harmful economic ccuse-
quences.