Evening star., 1941-04-25
Warns Against
Amateur Experts
Writer Says Real Authorities
On Lotin American Affairs
Are Available for Service
BIZ EDWIN RYAN.

| | have been remembering Visit l
paid almost IS years ago to one of
the most eminent and most highly
esteemed professors of history in the
United States He is now, l believe,
emeritus but he retains his interest
in historical science and is ready and
eager to help the students in that uni
verSity which he has done so much to
render illustrious.
When I called on him he was very
busy Che always was and for that
reason I said would make but brief
stay; he insisted, however, on giving me
half an hour of his valuable time,
answering my questions, inquiring about
my own studies and showing me his
library. Those 30 minutes I shall never
forget l was then trying to do what
I could in a modest way to impress
on people in this country the importance
of Latin America, and that brief meeting
with a man who already, in those far
off days of the nineteen-twenties, had
developed an outstanding department in
one portion of Latin American history
and had not only trained some first-rate
students but in addition had found time
| to write some of the most valuable books
| and monographs on certain phases of
the achievement of Spain in America,
was to me nothing short of an inspira-
| ton.
The reason I have been dwelling on it
these pas few hours is that for some
! time, with other persons, I have been
! puzzled and even a trifle worried about
| the crop OF experts and authorities"
on Latin America which has been gar
nered in this land within the past year
or so. That the people of the United
| States at last were awakening to the
! need for knowing more about their Latin
| brethren was at first, to those who had
| been for years trying to awaken them,
| encouraging, but as time went on and
| that Interest began to assume too
| frequently the form of good will tours"
and other weird alterations, some began
| to wonder whether it was so hopeful a
sign afLer all, and now that we are be-
holding the astonishing spectacle of per-
sons with but slight acquaintance with
any part of Latin American studies
coming forward as leaders" in Latin
American activities the question is being
raised, Isn't the situation becoming
dangerouS?"
Latin America is not only so vast a
! field that no one can hope to master
more than one phase of it, and that only
after arGuous study; it is also a field with
pitfalls fOI the unWary, and therefore to
venture into it with no more preparation
than may be obtained from a few books
and a few trips is to invite trouble.
When the blind leads the blind, do they
not both fall into the ditch?" In addi-
| ton to the knowledge required for this
| subject a. for any other there is needed
at least a modiCum of prudence and tact,
since the Latin American countries
present diversities-and therefore some
times claShes-of racial, political and
economic Interests, and consequently if
| our present efforts to cultivate" them
are entrusted to persons inadequately
equipped for that delicate task a perfect
harmony probably will not be attained.
If We lacked competent leaders we
should have some semblance of excuse
for using the best We could get, but
there is no such lack. Latin American
studies, history, geography, geology, eco
nomics, have been pursued in the United
States for. some decades and as q result
we now possess a fair number of men
and women entitled to speak authori-
tatively on such matters and to give
sound advice. Any one who wants TO
see what our country can show in the
way of Latin American scholarship need
only look into a single number of the
Hispanic American Historical Review, a
periodical whereof the intelligentsia of
| any country could be proud, and there
he will read the names of some of the
persons I have in mind. They and
others like them are the true "authori-
ties and experts" though of course
being serious scholars they would not
dream of claiming such designations.
single one of them is worth any number
of the self-appointed leaders of recent
vintage, and those who are genuinely in
terested in Latin American affairs and
would like to see the present effort for
closer ties between our Latin neighbors
and ourselves bear real fruit would be
more at ease were that effort directed
exclusively by persons who would guide
it sanely to the desired end and not
suffer it to degenerate into the hySteria
which it threatens to become Now is
q time, if there ever was time, that
calls for clearnesS of vision, steadineSs
of purpose and unselfishness of motive,
| qualities without which any movement
is doomed to failure and maybe disaster.
wonder what that professor of
whom I spoke at the beginning really
thinks of some of the people who sud-
| denly have burgeoned as lecturers and
writer's in that field to which he for
these many years has consecrated his
fine intellect After life spent in Latin
American studies he realizes the vastneSs
and intricacy of the subject and how
long and arduous is the discipline de-
msnded of one who would master even
one part of it, What would he say of
those who now, after merely scratching
the surface, are offering their contribu-
ton? 1 should like to ask him. but I
refrain. Why perturb the vesper calm
of his declining years?