| Show U S RELATIONS WITH LATIN AMERICA only those who have followed we the sad record of the relations between the united states and the governments of the countries to the south of us can really appreciate the epochal change that president roosevelt has brought to the inter american scene 11 so wrote david La lawaence one of the presidents severest critics so far as domestic policy is concerned in the united states news of november 30 about all the average citizen knows about U S foreign policy as related to the other countries in this hemisphere is that it is governed by something celebrated and vague called the monroe doc rine erinc probably not one citizen in 50 could accurately tell you what the monroe doctrine provides and probably not one citizen in a hun decd re alises that the c doctrine has been virtually a dead letter for several yeara and as well lia has caused a vast am amount aunt of unfriendly feeling toward this country in the republics to the south briefly and roughly described the monroe doctrine meant that the united states would not permit any eui government to take like over territory in latin am erica that the U S gouid would act as i a big brother in protecting latin american territorial rights as well as its own this seemed fair enough but the doctrine had not been in effect for long before discord arose more than a century ago brazil requested that the doctrine in david lawrences laurences Lawren ces words 11 be made international that it become a sort of offensive and defensive alliance in which all latin countries should join with the united states in keeping european armies and navies out of this part of the world that request I 1 was refus refused cd as were similar requests made periodically in laferl later years consequently the latin republics came to feel rightly or wrongly that the U S was taking advantage of the doctrine to rule their countries this feeling was strengthened by sending U S marines south whenever trouble appeared in a latin american nation there are no marines in latin america now and it seems doubtful if any will be sent there again it is a curious fact that both hoover and roosevelt took the initiative in withdrawing the last of these agents of what latin america considered U S imperialism no longer does docs washington take the position that it will back up any foreign ventures of american citizens with armed force if necessary our citizens now travel in lal latin n america at their own risk and are arc subject to the laws of the countries where they go diplomacy will be used to help them in difficulties but not force in other words their status is exactly the same as if traveling in england france and other european countries what is the result of all this in the eyes of many american observers the result will be a genuine feeling of friendliness for us on the part of the republics to the south and there are arc signs that such a feeling is now developing though much suspicion remains there is also the hopes that dormant trade will be revived and that by example the western hemisphere will show the world how nations can live without war settling differences by amicable conferences feren ces furthermore it is hoped that treaties will be effected whereby european powers wishing war materials will find the raw material markets of north and south america the greatest in the world firmly closed to them mr Roosevel ts speech at the recent pan american conference is generally considered jone one of the best he has ever made he handled a delicate task well credit for the groundwork is div given en to secretary hull who has spent his public life working quietly for peace and for better commercial and diplomatic relations between powers |
