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BETTER CO-OPERATION WITH SOUTH AMERICASource: Advocate of Peace through Justice, Vol. 87, No. 5 (MAY, 1925), p. 274Published by: World Affairs InstituteStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20660912 .

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274 ADVOCATE OF PEACE May

BETTER CO-OPERATION WITH SOUTH AMERICA

AN INCREASING desire really to co

operate with Latin America is no ticeable in several recent events.

On April 13 the White House an nounced that the invitation of the Argen tine Republic to take part in the Pan American Road Congress, to be held in Buenos Ayres in October, 1925, has been

accepted. In the selection of the commission the

President has given assurance to South America of a sincere desire on the part of this country for an interchange of opinion on the problems of roads and transporta tion, by appointing a group of men who have devoted their lives to such problems.

The chairman of the commission to

represent the United States is J. Walter Drake, an aide of the Secretary of Com merce. Mr. Drake is given the credit of

having brought the Pan American High way Commission to this country last year. Another member of the commission is Charles M. Babcock, whose work as com missioner of highways in Minnesota has attracted attention all over the world. P. L. Bishop, dean of the School of Engi neering of the University of Pittsburgh, is another member, well known for his

work in investigations of roads and trans port. Others are Congressman William E. Hull, of Illinois, who initiated the movement for good roads in Illinois, which are considered among the best in the United States; Thomas MaeDonald, Chief of the Department of Highways of the United States; Prank Page, brother of the late Walter Hines Page and a for mer president of the Road Constructor's

Association; and Dr. Guillermo Sherwell, Secretary-General of the Pan American

High Commission, Another evidence of our policy as re

gards Latin America is indicated in the

leading editorial of La Prensa, a Spanish language paper published in New York for South Americans, in the issue for

March 31. The editor says in part: One of the outstanding features of the new

regulations governing diplomatic representa tion to South America is the requirement by the United States of a knowledge of Spanish.

This is a novelty worthy of note. Up to the

present, with few exceptions, United States

diplomatic representatives in South America

have spoken only English, a few have spoken a little French, Spanish only in a few very notable exceptions. . . .

The necessity of having recourse to inter

preters, interpreters of words and of acts, in our countries, in which political conflicts, and even social differences, take on the in

tensity and vehemence of our race, make a

representative who has to resort to inter

mediaries for his understanding run a great

risk, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred*, of getting a wrong idea of important matters.

This danger, which is proved by hundreds of cases in the history of Hispanic America,

will be greatly reduced by requiring, as is to be done now, a knowledge of Spanish.

This is a great stride forward. . . .

It is opening a most encouraging prospect of a better understanding between our peo ples and the Government at Washington.

When Washington can understand and study at first hand our problems, our ideals, our

ambitions, and our interests, the solution of all our problems will be much nearer and easier to attain than now.

IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL DATES

(March la-April IS)

March 16?A direct cable between the United States and Italy ie opened by a greeting from Presi dent Coolidge to the King of Italy.

March 18?The United States Senate ad journs its special session.

March 20 ? President Alessandri, of Chile, is greeted with great en thusiasm on his return to Santi ago from Europe.

March 21?The executive committee of the Communist International, consisting of 120 delegates from all over the world, begins its session in Moscow.

March 23?General Pershing is appointed by President Coolidge president of the commission to supervise the Tacna-Arica plebiscite.

March 25?Formal notes of ratification pass between Secretary Kellogg and Ambassador la Torriente,

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