Evening star., 1942-02-01
Pan>American Solidarity Gains
By Epochal Agreements at Rio
Minister'S Parley Might Have Been Less Successful
in Long. Range Goal if More Had Been
Done Along Political Lines
By FeEs Morley.

And 1t Is the results Of all this intensive
effort which enabled Undersecretary
Welles to claim at Rio "the utmost sue
cess In attaining the objectives which We
sought"
The Rio de Janeiro conference, para
doxically, might well have been less sue
cessful If 1t had achieved more than was
actually attained.
Substantial notifications in the poll
tical recommendations as at first pro-
posed were forced by the attitude Of both
Argentina and Chile, whose governments
made crystal clear their absolute opposi-
ton to any action which might force
them into actual hostilities with the Axis
powers.
At first glance there seems a trace Of
defeat in these notifications, which leave
1t up to Argentina and Chile to decide
whether, when and how they wish to
break of diplomatic relations with the
Axis. But such a conclusion would be
unjustifled. Indeed there would have
been more reason to be skeptical Of long
range accomplishment If the more drastic
resolutions at first presented at Rio had
been accepted without revision.
That is the case because the funda-
mental objective of the Latin American
diplomacy of the United States Is to
develop a permanent New World region
alism
In its larger aspects that objective Is
independent of the present war. 1t was
being intelligently sought before Hitler
acquired his present status of world
menace. And effort to develop pan
American solidarity will doubtless be
continuing in Washington long after
Hitler claims his last headline. The war
did not create, it only emphasizes, the
desirability of pan-Americanism.
Unity Among Equals.
Moreover, the New World unity that Is
sought is one freely developed among
equals. 1t Is one in which the leadership
Of such rapidly growing and potentially
great nations as Argentina is just as
important as is that of the United
States. For this form of unity, which is
ton sought by Germany and Japan,
fortnight opposition on the part of
Argentina and Chile was definitely
helpful.
If these countries had been headed by
Latin American Quislings, ready to fall
In line as yes-men with q program backed
by the mailed fist there would have been
far less real pan-American unity, far less
prospect Of enduring New World region
alism, regardless of the wording OF
resolutions.
A relative over emphasis must not be
given % the political results of the his
toric conference which has now closed
at Rio de Janeiro Its activities in
strengthening the economic and financial
bonds which help to unite the good
neighbor" republics were at least equally
significant
Five important conference committees
worked strenuously, though with little
publicity, in the latter field. In part, the
subject Of their study was the Develop
ment, control and distribution of stra-
tegic raw materials in relation to the war
emergency. But there was much In the
work Of these committees which will be
as applicable for the postwar period al
1t Is for meeting current problems.
No Hurry for Name.
This applies in particular to measures
looking toward a sterilization of the
various American currencies, in relation
to each other, and to the preliminary
agreements forwarding further relaxa-
ton, If not actual suspension, of all tariff
barriers which artidcially impede the
how OF inter-AmeSican trade.
The leadership Of the United States In
this field Is the more significant because
Of the large measure Of progress recently
made IN more closely migrating the
economies Of this country and Canada.
The general outline Of New World cur
rency and customs union, designed for
permanency, Is already becoming clear,
In the League Of Nations an impressive
formula, for international cooperation
preceded unsuccessful effort to work out
practical techniques. In the developing
union Of American nations the order is
reversed.
The methods Of effective cooperation
are being worked out first. There is no
hurry about finding q name for the de-
veloping regional consolidation which
the conference at Rio de Janeiro has 30
obviously helped to forward.