Evening star., 1941-01-31
River Plate Farley
Gratified by Hull
Trade Statement
No U. S. Obstacle Seen
To Concessions for
Bolivia, Paraguay
By ALLEN HADEN.


Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
MONTEVIDEO, Jan. 3l.-Secre-
tary of State Hulls statement to
his press conference in Washing
ton yesterday was accepted today
by the delegates to the Economic
Conference of the River Plate re-
gion as indicating the United States
will not insist on the most-fa-
vored-nation clause should trade
concessions be granted to Bolivia
and Paraguay.
Mr.. Hulfs remarks that certain
principles may be nullified, in prac-
tice. in view of disturbed world
conditions. was. received with con-
siderable qualification as a realis-
tic apprecia ton of the situation.
tMr Haden yesterday filed
dispatch which carried author
ized denials of report, carried
from New York, that the United
States had lodged a protest with
Argentina on the point in ques-
tion)
Appreciation of Situation.
While agreeing entirely with the
United States stand for protection
of the principle of most-favored-
nation treatment, delegates pointed
out that the Argentine draft con-
vention, to be signed with Brazil
and Uruguay, insists that none Of
the three would claim for them
selves trade advantages which the
other two might concede to Bolivia
and Paraguay
Mr.. Hulls statement was accepted
as representing realistic appre-
citation of the situation. Some OF the
delegates are of the opinion that
the landlocked position of Bolivia
and Paraguay being unique, the
United States might well adhere to
the proposed convention for prac-
tical purposes of pam n-Americanism,
without engaging in the traditional
maintenance of the most-favored-
nation principle. Approval of the
convention is expected.
1t was also learned today that
Bolivia has proposed regional
Pacific conference. The status of
the proposal is unknown here. Fol-
lowing up two Caribbean confer
ences. the last of which was held
in Ciudad Trujillo in March, and
in view of the Amazonian confer
ence. which President Getulio VAR
gas of Brazil is anxious to convoke
soon. it is not unreasonable that a
Pacific conference. or a conference
of Andean nations, should meet in
the near future.
Concrete Demands Avoided.
This notice comes to confirm cir
cumStantially the Bolivian position
in this conference. Bolivia has
avoided concrete demands but has
rather sought acceptance of the
principle of free transit for persons
and goods. Were Bolivia able to OBJ
tain recognition of that principle, II
would greatly strengthen her posi-
tion in any subsequent negotiations
with Chile regarding amplification
of export facilities via Africa
BoliviaS natural outlet, after all,
is by way of the Pacific, while the
River Plate can never be other than
a somewhat artificial and secondary
route for the hypothetical oil pro-
duction from the Camiri fields, con-
fiScated fro mthe Standard Oil Co
in 1887. In that connection. while
some Bolivian delegates speak of
the need for a pipeline for the
enormous potential oil production
of those fields, local official Bolivians
state that the oil fields at present
produce hardly 5000 tons monthly.
tCopyrisht, 1941, chicsso Daily News. Inc. }