Show washington digest wallace capitol spanish club improve pan american relations work to remove language r barrier between countries continued aid to england may soon require large U S war loans by BAUKHAGE released by western newspaper union 1 I washington it was midday in the department of agriculture building the goldfish in the marble basin in the patio were wiggling hopeful tails in the prospect of a few crumbs that might be dropped by clerks hurrying back to their desks from the cafeteria at a table in a little lunchroom upstairs a man with led hair a somewhat self con smile on his face pulled some 30 au n HENRY A WALLACE manuscript from his pocket and began to read me es sum amente grato y hono roso it was not a visiting spanish dignitary saying in his native tongue it is indeed a great honor to be asked to make introductory remarks on the occasion of this distinguished gathering it was the then secretary of agriculture henry wallace rehearsing before his fellow executives the speech in spanish that he was to deliver before the pan american scientific congress last may and he knew what he was saying and so did his audience that informal spanish club was only a little over two years old then but it is symbolic of a movement which has had a powerful influence in washington a movement the result of which is considered in latin america as one of the real practical steps toward western hemisphere solidarity the story of that luncheon group and the man who started it is one of the fascinating stories of american diplomacy that get into the text books it is largely the story st ory of secretary wallace himself and the story of a side of him that few people know except for the scholarly interest which W ich a man who is an inveterate reader might have henry wallace knew w little more about south america than you or I 1 when he came to washington today his name is one of the best known of all of our officials fici als to the latin american newspaper reader and they know it as the name of a man who understands them and their problems as few north americans do wallace symbolized friendship with mexico when vice president elect wal wallace lace shook hands with the president elect of mexico before the recent inauguration in mexico city he did so as a person who was far more than the mere official representative of the president of the united states he came as a symbol of practical friendship between this coti country and the republics to the south to grasp the reasons back of this achievement you have to watch henry wallace at work wallace satisfied to read about south america he wanted to read what south americans said in their own tongue he satisfied with talking about south americans he had to talk to them so he learned the language and immediately the bars went down for language is a barrier that is typical of his methods out of those luncheon meetings grew a department of agriculture committee on latin america armed with the data furnished by this committee and supported by his own array of factual information mr wallace went to undersecretary welles in the state department and to the president the result was the formation of the interdepartmental committee on operation cooperation co with the american republics which studied the financial needs for activity in cultivating relations with south america now money makes the mare go and this inter department committees efforts helped secure the appropriation pria tion which put the teeth into the secre own practical efforts last july he saw one practical achievement of a step which he had been fighting for for years it will make make possible actual experimentation in the development of rubber in south america which may some day make us independent of the foreign rubber markets and bolster one of the greatest defense needs valuable products grown in latin america there are many other similar fields in which his efforts are bearing fruit the department of agriculture through study through experimentation peri through operation cooperation co of representatives of the department attached to our diplomatic missions in colombia and argentina and our traveling representatives in south america has made valuable studies which will aid the production of products the united states needs from south america which we cant raise here here are some of them first rubber which I 1 mentioned second hemp third roots rotenone so valuable to farmers who grow products like vegetables for or while this poison kills the bugs it 1 is nonpoisonous non poisonous to man then there are the various hard woods we cant grow in our latitudes A soil book the result of puerto rican experiments printed in spanish has proved a gold mine to the folks of the caribbean that rotenone is a story in itself the secretary had read about how certain south american natives used these roots to kill fish he followed it up had the department investigate it found how it could be processed in south america today seven million pounds are imported into the united states and when you realize that for use the solution is diluted five to one you can see what a quantity our market can absorb britaina Brit ains resources dwindling rapidly washington is beginning to feel the weight of pressure groups which are demanding short cuts in our efforts to aid britain there are a number of committees like the one headed by william allen alien white to defend america by aiding the allies formed when france was still an ally which keep hammering on the white house door they have various specific aims but the general purpose is help tor for great britain with which most people agree heartily in principle the administration has taken no official recognition of these various propaganda movements of some it approves of others it disapproves but it is becoming clear that some leaders in congress will not oppose certain specific demands when they become more pressing one is an amendment to the johnson act which prohibits loans to foreign alg n nations which paid their war debts there is no official confirmation of this step but it is taken for granted by those who are supposed to know that administration support will not be lacking if and when such an amendment is proposed as it probably will be by the time the new congress has settled down early in the new year earlier it was said that britain had enough gold and securities in this country to cover her purchase of war supplies here tor for some time but latest figures indicate that she has placed orders for four and a hall half billion dollars worth of supplies already this leaves only a billion and a half on credits according to the estimates of experts and it I 1 is believed that will soon be exhausted at the present rate of purchasing in this country |