Evening star., 1941-12-16
Sees Signs Of Victory
In Policy Toward Neighbors.

To the Editor OF The Star:
At time when many American men
and women are fearful of the destiny
awaiting the liberty-loving peoples Of
the Old World and the New 1t may be
wise to consider one factor that, if viewed
In its true perspective, clearly shows
that all apprehension in this country is
without foundation in truth or reason.
The factor is the character of the men
who now hold place and power in Amer
lea. correlative is the obscurity now
enveloping or shadowing those who ad-
vocated a national policy that would
have made our survival as a great power
as much of world calamity as would
the triumph Of Adolf Hitler.
To properly evaluate the services and
abilities Of those now entrusted with our
affairs We must look at Mexico. 1t Is not
enough to see that country as it is. We
must see it as it was and as it would be
today but for American craftsmanship.
few short years ago, an angry mob
was stoning the American Embassy
building in Mexico City. At the mo-
ment, that capital was almost as Ger
man as Potsdam There were hundreds
of thousands of armed and thoroughly
organized Germans in the republic and
concessions aiming to establish large
japanese colonies on the west coast OF
Mexico were demanded as of right and
were granted without demur.
Let us suppose that we had allowed
that condition to continue with the
growing aggravation that usually ac-
companies any unchecked evil: What
would be our plight today? Our shipping
would be harried by Nazi submarines
based at Tampico and Vera Cruz. From
the Gulf of California and the Gulf of
Corrientes, Nipponese underwater and
surface war craft would infest Pacific
coastal waters from San Pedro to VAN
couver. Galveston and Ell Paso would
be masses of rubble; Denver also, prob
ably. Certainly, also, a large American
Army ready for, if not actually engaged
in, war on our Mexican frontier would
preclude us from sending any force to
fight abroad.
How happily different is the reality!
The warm friendship of Mexico has sub
dued all the forces of evil once sedu-
lousy engaged within her borders in
plotting our destruction. Through Pan
American comfy, the newly won friend
ship of Mexico has been an agent in
extirpating the deep and sullen resent
ment against this country that until
lately was strong in all of the Central
and South American states They are
now unreservedly our friends and our
allies.
The history of nation heading toward
defeat does not shape in this fashion.
AS the ever-increasing hatred of Hitler
tells his doom. our good neighbor policy
with Mexico during the present admin
istrstion has made inevitable our tri-
umph in the present war If we hon.
estly weigh the public life of our Presi-
dent, we must decide, on balance, that
his Pan-American policy and the chiv-
airy he has shown toward the oppressed,
mark him as one Of the greatest if not
the greatest of all American statesmen,
provided, always, our estimate be based
upon results, not upon spoken words.
The Levite and the certain priest"
who passed by on the other side, leaving
unsuccored in his agony him who had
been sorely mutilated and stripped of
his garments, found permanent though
ignoble place in the story OF mankind.
The souls of that priest and that Levite
live in America today, but only in those
whom we have consigned to obscurity.
We are to be saved because we have
men who. apart from any question Of ma
tionAl defense, were willing to 60 AL out"