AMERICAN LEAGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 106, 6 May 1936, Page 8

AMERICAN LEAGUE.

LATIN STATES' REPLIES. TO ROOSEVELT'S IXVITATIOX. SANTIAGO, Chile. The suggestions of South American presidents in reply to the Roosevelt letter regarding a new world peace conference are sufficient in number and variety to give the State Department in Washington much to think about before embarking- on a definite programme.

Although there is tho appearance of all around cordiality, fortified by ready acceptance of the tentative hivitation to share in an inter-American peace system, there are accompanying remarks and reservations which, it is suggested here, may make President Roosevelt and Secretary Hull "pause deep and long' , before risking negotiations.

In the first plaee, the Argentine reply, however gratifying it may be described at the White House, is accepted as ''very laconic"' among the Latin States. Argentina prefers a universal to an exclusively American system of peace, declared President Agustin Justo.

The invariable Argentine leit motif regarding the Monroe doctrine stood out in the sentence: "It is understood that within universal independonco tnere can be no regional distinctions or continental separations."

Buenos Ayres newspapers, commenting on Justo's reply, said that Argentina would not enter into any a-cord which recognised the Monroe doctrino, while the foreign office gave it out that the Government did not adhere to the policy of "America for Americans," but "America for Humanity.' ,

The Chilian reply, though written in a less sober vehij was equally emphatic on the point of the universality of peace. President Arturo Alessandri said any all-American effort should be complementary to the League of Xations and other international organisations. If any system was devised at the impending conference, then the agreements should be open to non-American States as well.

He also suggested tackling the armaments problem and proposed a revision of Pan-American education to eradicate national prejudices from the minds of youth. But, following the Argentine lead, he insisted on the "universal character" of peace. That was the keynote of his reply.

While these two leading Powers emphasised the close South American relationship with the old world, it was left to Colombia to indicate that the separatist, embers still burn. President Alfonso Lope/, emerged as a new supporter of the "American League of Nations" idea.

In his reply to President Roosevelt he voiced South American disappointment in the League of Nations and claimed that southern States had been forced into a subordinate role at Geneva. He was ready for evacuation and American isolation."

"Colombia would rejoice in an inter American peace system," he said.

Judging by these three representative replies, therefore, the American peace conference, when convoked, will find Washington confronted with three main trends among Latin States:— (1) The Argentine group, which will oppose open or tacit recognition of the Monroe or any regional doctrine however innocuous. (2) The more powerful group which refuses to sever or reduce Kuropean connections and places world before American agreements. (3) An influential minority with official spokesmen favouring retirement from the League of Nations, and concentration on an exclusively American peace I organisation. I