Show united states leadership in politics needed to redeem world from savagery by THOMAS E BENNER university of porto rico A MERICAN ae leadership ad ershil in world politics is likely to bring about A some amelioration of a state of international savagery in which tile tho world finds itself nations have not boon been content eyen to extract an eye for an eye and a tooth for foa tooth of the offender and even of tile the innocent they have sought bought life itself if national selfishness were accompanied by the national might which made such extraction possible there are arc reasons why american leadership in world politics is likely to bring about some amelioration of tile the state of international savagery the american nations taken as a whole are find end underdeveloped their natural resources are sufficiently great to relieve them of the economic pressure which is the basis of european rivalries nations are not intelligent in their world relationships they cry and laugh at the achievements of a lindbergh they rage and storm over a minor unintended discourtesy they may be led by appeals to the heart but are indifferent to the appeals of the intellect the ideal which should be the contribution of the americans in ta the 0 era on oil which we are embarked the homely ideal which we commonly call neighborliness porto hico has offered nil ali example from which we might learn these latin american citizens of the united states molded by years of spanish tradition which is tho the common inheritance of latin america and familiar with the institutions and policies of the united states have done much to bring together the two great cultures of north and south america and in mutual understanding and |