Evening star., 1941-03-09
Wallace Says Aid Bill
Debate Renews His
Faith in Democracy
Talks at Little Congress
Dinner, Shorine Honors
With DR.. Castillo Nojero

The Senate debate on the lease
lend bill has renewed my faith in
democracy" Vice President Wallace
declared last night. In addressing
the annual dinner of the Little
Congress organization of con-
greSsional secretaries, he said that
the debate over which he pre-
sided had been remarkably good
tempered"
Vice President Wallace and DR..
Francisco Castillo Najera, Mexican
Ambassador, were the honor guests
and the principal speakers at last
nights dinner, which was held in
the mairr ballroom of the Willard
Hotel. The banquet room was dec
GRATED with flags of the 81 Amer
lean republics.
Ambassador Castillo Najera prais-
ed Vice President Wallace as "the
pioneer of a new streamlined pam
Americanism." Pointing out that
mutual distrust among peoples can
be destroyed to a great extent by
personal contact" he told the Little
Congress" that the ultimate faith
of pan-Americanism depends essen
TALLY upon the official conduct of
the interested governments"
Wallace Speaks Informally.
But official friendship rests al
ways on superficial grounds" he
said. "It needs to stir the men, the
women, and the children of the
people President Roosevelt's good
neighbor policy" he continued,
must become a personal conviction
in the hearts of the peoples of the
Americas"
Mr.. Wallace, who spoke informally,
praised the efficiency of congress
sional secretaries. Many OF the
helpers" of Senators and Repre-
sentatives, he said, were inadequately
paid.
Democracy faces lot of troubles
both in the United States and other
Western Hemisphere countries" he
warned. II the Nazis win the war,
a great impetus will be given in some
American countries to those who be-
lieve in totalitarian government, he
continued.
Their belief in totalitarianism. he
said, is based on a feeling that
democracy is not efficient. For this
reason, Mr.. Wallace declared, it is
essential for all friends of democracy
to consider what is necessary to
make democracy efficient" in order
to meet successfully the competition
of the totalitarian powers
Band Plays Mexican Anthem.
The United States Navy Band.
which provided dinner music, played
the Mexican national anthem as
DR.. Castillo Najera. the first speaker,
was introduced by Toastmaster John
Connally, secretary to Representa-
tive johnson of Texas.
II wish to avail myself of this op-
poI tunity to stress the personality of
Vice President Wallace, as pioneer
of a new 'streamlined' pan-Ameri-
canism," the Ambassador said in
opening his address. Henry A. Wall
lace is not theorist of pan-Ameri-
canism, but living illustration of
that idea.
MANY people talk of pan-Ameri-
canism not only without clear idea
of its meaning and implications. but
without any feeling of its existence.
Mr.. Wallace, long before his election
as Vice President of the United
States. felt deep in his heart
personal friendship for his Latin
American neighbors. Already, as
Secretary Of Agriculture, he stimu-
lated, by his dynamic example. the
study of Latin American countries,
their problems. their music and
specially their language"
DR.. Castillo Najero then recalled
the Vice Presidents trip to Mexico
CITY by automobile last December.
He walked among the natives
interested principally in the life
and daily problems of our farmers"
he said Speaking their language,
he inquired from them about their
work, showing profound personal
interest in crops. rains and corn.
Every time I saw him exchanging
friendly views with them, every time
I watched the happy smile on the
faces of my people and the mutual
interest of both. the Vice President
and them, in these off the record
chats, I could not help feeling that
1 was witnessing an historical eX-
pertinent; a living Illustration, I
could almost say, an impressive
incarnation of the spirit of Pam
Americanism. ."
Strong Ties Are Urged.
"In times like those we are living,
1t becomes imperative that the uni
versiai features of mankind be
strengthened, at least, and first of
all among the immediate neighbors,
united by the physical bonds of
geography.
Too often history has separated
geographical neighbors, placing be-
tween them unSurmountable OBJ
stacles of hate and misunderstand-
ing. That has been the rule in the
past. There is no reason why it
should continue to be so. We must
see to it that historical develop
ments in our continent enhance and
seal the geographical bonds of ma
ture. We must prove that history
and geography are not enemies;
that they may become the closest
allies, and that geographical proxi-