Evening star., 1940-07-28

supported by the United States for
conference adoption were phrased
in terms sufficiently broad to pro-
vide for such fexibility of action
that it was difficult for even
Argentina to find objections to
them on the grounds of "conjectural
hypothesis" Secretary Hull, too,
feels that the Americas must keep
their feet on the ground in what
ever common program they might
undertake. In conformity with this
policy, sentiment developed rapidly
toward decisions setting our funda-
mental principles under which de-
tailed solutions could be worked
out as threatening situations de-
veloped or changed.
Three Major Problems.
The three major problems before
the conference concerned the des-
perate economic plight of nations
whose foreign trade has been dis
rupted by the war, laying them open
to Nazl pressure in this field; dan
gers arising from the possibility of
German attempts to gain control of
French, Dutch or British posses
sions in this hemisphere, and the
menace of subversive activities
aimed at undermining the indie
pendence of some of the republics
and destroying inter- American
solidarity.
In all of these fields effective
action hardly could be carried out
by any one of the Latin American
nations without the cooperation of
its nelghbors. Obviously, the United
States would have to carry the bur-
den OF any successful program, par
ticularly in the way CT extending
economic aid. Realization of this
fact-that in the final outcome any
action taken would depend upon
how far the United States was will
ing to go-naturally tended to
strengthen Secretary Hull's position
OF leadership in developing the pro-
gram. On the other hand, the
principle of national equality in
inter-American solidarity which is
fundamental to the good neigh
bor'' policy as built up by President
Roosevelt and his Secretary of
State could not be maintained
without all the 81 republics having
an equal voice in the framing of
decisions. Thus the Hull leadership
in this conference was exercised in
thoroughly cooperative rather
than in any bullying manner.
This procedure led rapidly toward
general agreement on principles of
increased economic cooperation for
the temporary handling of surpluses
Of commodities Important in the
foreign trade of the Americas, and
common defense against inimical
commercial pressure upon any of
them, with the details of specific
measures to be worked out later
by strengthened and expanded
er-American Financial and Eco
nomic Advisory Committee.
Establishment of collective
trusteeship" over any non-Ameri-
can territory in the hemisphere i'm
periled by attempts to transfer it
to another power or even by politi-
cal changes impairing the freedom
of action of such a regions mother
country, with provision for it's
eventual restoration to its original
sovereign or declaration of its indie
pendence, and safeguards against
any American nation gaining a spe-
cial interest in areas taken over
also was generally favored. Aside
from the early Argentine opposition
to any effective action at all, the
principal conflict of opinion that
had to be reconciled on this sub
ject arose from a feeling among
some delegations that territories
which might be subjected to the
collective trusteeship" should be
left free to annex themselves to one
of the existing American republics
if they SHOULD so desire. This was
not in line with Secretary Hulls
conviction that none of the Amer