The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-01-28

stops. from lne
Cults Of Thuantepec and Honduras,
on down, we're rather more ignor-
ant Of that southern mainland than
we are Of the moon.
don't say that we absolutely
haven't anyone who knows our
netghbor countries intimately
What l do say is that we haven't
a corpotal's guard of EN-.
President Roosevelt's good neigh
borliness has been all right, but
lacking in details. 1t needs devel-
opment into something concrete.
State Undersecretary Sumner
Welles has done a good job at the
Rio de Janeiro conference of Pan
American foreign ministers. Sum-
ner's one Of our ess-than-a-cor-
porars-guard who understands the
new world Latins. AS a Yankee
diplomat, he's lived among EN-. We
shan't adequately realize. though,
upon the thus far satisfactory re-
suits Of his mission without fur
Their competent management from
Uncle Sans end Of the line.
Sumner probably isn't numerous
enough to handle the task alone.
We have agencies that are inter-
esteG in the Matter, but they
haven't the ghost Of an idea how
to proceed.
Difficult to Explain
The heck Of it is that, if you tell
'em, they've no notion what you
mean. It's like trying to explain
differential calculus to kid who
hasn't yet arrived at short division.
The right sort of publicity is our
most urgent necessity, from Mex
icos southern border to Magellan
Strait. We ought to have plenty
Of sources Of 1t. The Pan Ameri-
can Unions one, and that outfit
really Is pretty well saturated with
the southern wastern hsnnisphere's
lore, but it's far from expert at
the framing up Of news.
We've a news co-ordinating bu-
reau under Colonel wild Bill
Donovan. His stuff, though is for
the benefit of our own government.
1t isn't available for consumption
abroad.
Nelson Rockefeller's head Of a
bureau for the consolidation Of
Pan American relations. but its
personnel practically never heard
OF Latin America.
AS chief censor, Byron Price
naturally isn't much of publicity
agent. During the last war George
Creel was both a censor and a pub
licity man. This time the two
functions are divorced. Byron sup
presses, but Archibald MacLeish
directs the Office of Facts and Fig
ures. Its stunt Is to disseminate
information giving aid and COM
fort to our own people" and
friends. The OFF should be Just
the ideal fountainhead Of dope for
Latin America - only Archibald
and his assistants aren't able to
distinguish between Latin America
and a bunch OF beets. They've
heard Of Britain and China and the
Dutch East Indies. but scarcely OF
any place below the Rio Grande.
I've encountered this situation
considerably Of late.
Little TnderStandinD
A few days ago there arrived In
Washington, from the other side Of
the Equator, one Ralph Ross, a
Yankee, and a good one, for more
than 20 years newspaperman In
the Latin republics. A longtime
friend Of mine, tried to promote
him as a rarely desirable press
agent in that field.
Well, could get him In to see
a number Of these birds, but does
anybody suppose they could COM
prehend what he said!
True, I'm aware what It's up to
him to do. It's TO acquire the post
he's seeking, a thing I'm sure is
more than possibility, though the
bureau head who recruits him
won't have the, renotest conception
Of its utility, and then to go back
TO the South American east coast
and run things to suit himself.
] did 1t during our participation