Evening star., 1940-04-14

TODAY brings the golden jubilee Of
pan-Americanisn, the great inter-
national movement which ties together
the 81 free nations lying between the
Great Lakes and the Straits Of Magellan.
During the past so years, Pan-Amer-
icanism has been many things. The
movement was born of the United
States economic aspirations, disguised
as hopes for peace-for- r-peaces sake for
the nations of the New World. Until al
most decade ago the republics to the
south of us regarded -Americanism
as the instrument of bad neighborliness.
Tomorrow President Roosevelt will give
at the Pan-American Union speech
glorifying the unity of the Western Hem
isphere nations behind the policy he has
propounded as the essence of Pan-Amer-
icanism-good neighborliness.
Pan-Americanism is an instrument Of
United States foreign policy. It is a pol
icy which has thrived and has helped US
to thrive. And most Latin American re-
publics will admit that it is policy which
has contributed to whatever prosperity is
theirs.
Basis for Friendship.
The movement for inter american
amity and cooperation has gone further
toward providing basis for international
friendship than any movement the world
has ever known. This Is so despite the
aloofness with which Argentina, the re-
public farthest south Of us, regards the
United States, and the occasional un-
friendly acts of Mexico, the nearest re-
public. The Roman Empire dominated
the civilized Western World by the Pax
Romano. In the civilized New World
we have the Pax America. Asia and Eu-
rope are the scenes of war. but the free
nations Of America are at peace. And
since last October they have been pre-
senting real continental solidarity. The
81 republics are showing united front
Of opinion respecting the European war.
Washington's attitude toward the New
World south of us has shown a remark
able consistency not only for so but
indeed for more than 140 years. In 1903
Napoleon displaced King Ferdinand VII
from the Spanish throne and sat upon
1t his brother Joseph Bonaparte. The
change precipitated widespread revolt
in Latin America against the Spanish
domination. Spain owned what are now
the continental republics of Mexico,
Guatemala, Honduras, Ell Salvador,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Co
1ombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bo-
ivia. Paraguay, Argentina and Chile,
and what are now our States Of Texas,
New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Cali
fornia. BY 1922 the Spanish colonies all
had established their independence.
Clay Urged Recognition.
During the wars Of independence in
Latin America, Henry Clay frequently
advocated in the House Of Representa-
tives that the United States aid the lands
toward the establishment Of their free
dom by granting them diplomatic recog-
milton. His own pleas bore little imme-
diate fruit, even though he pictured in
large prophetic detail the economic value
to the United States of determinedly
friendly policy toward South America
and Latin North America. While Clay
talked to deaf ears, England acted, and
established valuable trade with the
new American nations.
Out Of this English activity came the
Monroe Doctrine. The English were
alarmed in 1923 lest the nations in the
Holy Alliance-France, Austria, Russia
and Prussia-might assist Spain In re-
covering her lost colonies. Foreign Min
lister Canning Of England suggested that
his country and the United States join
In the issuance OF declaration Of their
disapproval Of any European interference
In American affairs. Ths United States