SOUTH AMERICA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22596, 8 December 1936, Page 11

SOUTH AMERICA

GROUP OF COUNTRIES

UNITED STATES POLICY '"GOOD NEIGHBOUR" ATTITUDE The present-day policy of the United States toward the other republics of the New World was discussed by the United States Consul, Mr. W. P. Boyle, in an address on "The New Deal with Latin America," given at the weekly luncheon of the Rotary Club yesterday. Apart from Brazil, colonised by Portugal, and Haiti, whose citizens were of African descent, there were 18 independent countries in America inheriting the culture of Spain. The United States attitude to these 20 countries, as to the whole world, was governed by the words in the Sermon on the Mount, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so unto them."

The Monroe Doctrine, embodied in President Monroe's message to Congress of 1823, had been subjected to some sad twistings and unfortunate interpretations since then, both in and outside the United States. 1 here had grown up a tendency to regard the United States as hovering over Latin America with its talons into the flesh of the countries. Whereas various interventions had been forgotten in the United States, a suspicion was harboured in the south that they might be repeated. It had been pointed out that while, without intervention, civil strife might harm a country's material good, that country would at least retain its self-respect.

Succeeding Presidents had found certain points in the country's attitude unsatisfactory, but President lioosevelt had the courage to say they must be changed. He enunciated his good neighbour policy and it had been shown that it was to be a policy of action. Cuban independence had been fully recognised, soldiers and marines had been withdrawn from Nicaragua and elsewhere, and reciprocal trade treaties had been negotiated. A gathering of American nations, which President Roosevelt had attended, was now under way at Buenos Ayres. As a result of the new policy the southern republics were coming to regard Pan-Americanism as a bilateral link between Anglo-Saxon and Latin America.