OCR Text |
Show WILL ASSERT RIGHTS. The Pan-American conference, which assembled in Washington Tuesday, is easily the most important gathering of American diplomats ever called together. to-gether. Representatives of tweuty republics re-publics met to consider plans to put an end to the operations of the warships war-ships of the belligerent European nations na-tions in American- waters, which has had a serious effect upon tho trado between the neutral countries in the western hemisphere. The first step taken by the conference was the appointment ap-pointment of a commission to formulate formu-late the views and assert the rights of tho American nations. The Peruvian minister submitted a memorandum which went directly to the heart of the whole controversy. The time has come, according to the view of the representative of Peru, for joint action of all the American republics to guarantee the inviolability of their commercial routes from tho hostile activities of the belligerent navies. Under the present practice the cruisers of the powers at war stop and search tho ships of neutral nations at will, even when such ships are plying between neutral ports in the western hemisphere. Such conditions are intolerable and the assembling of the Pan-American conference is an indication that they will not bo submitted to much longer. The declaration of the Peruvian diplomat diplo-mat was accompanied by a suggestion that a resolution be adopted declaring "that America could not admit its commerce within tho maritime area belonging be-longing to the two continents as subject sub-ject to the contingencies of the present pres-ent war." A boundary line equidistant equidis-tant from the American continent and tho other continents, both on the Atlantic At-lantic and the Pacific, was also suggested. sug-gested. The importance of taking some action ac-tion is readily recognized when the probable duration of tho war is taken into consideration. The American republics re-publics cannot stand idly by without j making some effort to save their commerce com-merce from utter destruction and se cure the recognition of their rights as neutrals. The Peruvian minister's memorandum was submitted to the commission, by whom it should be given giv-en careful consideration and used as a basis for tho declaration that is to be made on ' behalf of tho American nations by the conference of diplomats. This commission is headed by Secre-tarv Secre-tarv Bryan, tho representative of the United States at tho conference. The other members consist of tho embassadors embassa-dors from Brazil, Chile and Argentina and the ministers from Peru. Keuador, Uruguay, Honduras anil Cuba. The only important country of the western hemisphere not represented on the commission com-mission or at tho conferenco is Mexico, Mexi-co, which has no embassador at Washington Wash-ington and whose present plight serves as an object lesson for all the South and Central American republics. The declaration of the commission, therefore, there-fore, ought to represent the views of tho entire western hemisphere and should be couched iu sufficiently strong language to admit of no misconstruction misconstruc-tion upon tho part of the belligerents. Xorth and South America are now firmly united in tho bonds of friendship, friend-ship, fear and distrust of the motives of tbie country upon flic pai t of the smaller republics having passed away, with the possible exception of Mexico and Colombia, the latter having a grievance which it has been nursing for several years. When tbo Mexicans get tired of killing each other and Colombia recovers from her fit of sulks there will be no sign of a break in the ranks when the western hemisphere is called upon to protect its trade or assert as-sert its rights, in which case tho Mon-1 roe doctrine will not bo tho solo reliance re-liance of, tho little republics when threatened with annihilation. |