WHY LATIN-AMERICA DISLIKES
THE UNITED STATES.

BY
James W. Johnson

Formerly of the American Consular Service.

Several years ago the writer was in one of the Latin-
American capitals while the first blow struck against Spain
for national independence was being celebrated. After a
torchlight procession speeches were made in the plaza to an
immense crowd. There were the usual rhetorical allusions to
the dead heroes and their struggle for freedom, but the crowd
was not stirred to its greatest outburst of approval until one
of the speakers made some remarks antagonistic to the United
States.

This incident occurred in a country which did not then
have and never had had any serious national grievance against
this country. I was not very much surprised, for it is com-
mon knowledge among Americans who have lived for any length
of time in the countries of Central or South America that there
exists among the natives there a smouldering dislike for the
United States, which upon the slightest sort of provocation is
likely to flare up and show itself. These Americans also know
that, despite official protestations of friendship, the United
States stands lower in the affections of the Latin-American
people

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people than either Spain, France, Italy, Germany or England.

This feeling of special dislike is curious when it is considered that the attitude of the United States has always been that of friend and protector, and that the independence, the very entity of these southern republics, has depended upon that attitude. On the other hand, various ones of these same republics have been threatened and coerced and even have had their ports bombarded by European powers.

This feeling of hostility and seeming ingratitude has puzzled a great many Americans, especially American officials; and various explanations of the cause have been made. One of these explanations is that the people of Latin-America have grown to fear that the United States has designs upon the integrity of their several governments; but the past and present policy of the United States does not warrant any such fear. Another is that the bond of language, religion and mode of thought naturally draws the Latin-American closer to the Latins of Europe; but this bond would not account for the lack of an under current of feeling against Germany and, much less, against England. A third explanation offered is that the American who goes into Latin-American countries does not take the proper steps to cultivate friendly feelings, that he holds himself aloof, that he reveals his prejudice, and so engenders dislike. It is true that the Frenchman, Spaniard, Italian and German who lives in Central or South America and does business there often intermarries with the natives and makes himself, socially, one of them; but the Englishman generally holds himself more aloof than the American,