Evening star. [volume], August 07, 1955, Page 14, Image 115

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
ARE GOOD WILL TRIPS WORTH WHILE? PART 2
WHAT I LEARNED
IN LATIN AMERICA
By Vice President Richard Nixon
Concluding his THIS WEEK report, he
lists live ways to unite the Americas.
He says rapid completion of the Inter-
American Highway will be a great help
QI ESTION : Last week Vice
President Nixon gave part of
his answer to the question,
“Are good-will trips worth
Is
I
while r and told something of
the importance of his travels in Asia and
Latin America. Here he takes up the threat
of Communism in Latin America, tells what
steps must be taken to combat it.
At Mr. Nixon's request, in place of the
usual payment, the editors are making a gift
to the Damon Runyon Memorial Fund for
Cancer Research, Inc.
ANSWER: What does the future hold
for Latin America? No one can visit this
area of the world without being tremen
dously impressed by its potentialities.
There are great unexplored natural re
sources, and the people are intelligent and
hard-working. All that is needed to assure
economic progress is political stability and
government policies which will encourage
private investment and individual enter
prise. In those countries where such poli
cies have been adopted, remarkable eco
nomic development is taking place.
On the basis of my observations, I believe
that much of Latin America is entering a
new era of relative political stability. Eco
nomic progress, therefore, is inevitable if
this trend continues.
Here, however, as in other countries
throughout the world, there is a sinister
threat to peace and progress. I use the
word “threat” advisedly because I saw
what a Communist government did to
Guatemala. Here 1 learned to know and
admire President Castillo Arnos, who lib
erated his country from 10 years of Com
munist rule. I think I can sum up the
record of the ousted Communist govern-
14
ment by stating that they talked one way
and did exactly the opposite. Here is how:
• They promised jobs to the workers; their
policies brought unemployment.
• They promised better health and hospital
facilities; during their regime even existing
programs for malaria control and sanita
tion were dropped.
• They promised new roads and new hous
ing; virtually the only homes they built
were for Communist leaders and the only
roads those that led to their homes.
e They promised honest government; they
sacked the treasury, and Communist Presi
dent Arbenz skipped the country with a
million dollars in cash.
• They promised justice under the law;
their atrocities are a black page in history.
No one can possibly imagine how happy
the people were to get rid of the Commu
nist government.
. „• I
PANAMA He checks up on new Highway
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GUATEMALA: President Armas looks on as Nixon holds Indian child dressed os a Moro
But much remains to be done of a spiri
tual nature. Material progress alone is not
the answer to Communism.
Archbishop Mariano Rossell Arellano's
message calling on the Guatemalan people
to resist the infiltration of alien Commu
nism rang out through the Americas like
a trumpet last year. He was so powerful
that, even when the government was in the
Communists’ hands, they had not dared
to jail him.
Deager Not Ovn
He told me, “// we are to succeed in
defeating Communism, we must remember
that men have souls as well as stomachs.”
I am convinced that Communism has
passed its high-water mark in Latin Amer
ica. But the danger is not over. In many of
these countries a small but well-organized
minority can come to power as in Guate
mala.
To keep the Communists from gaining
another beachhead in the Americas, we
must help our neighbors maintain political
stability and gain economic progress.
That is why President Castillo Armas’
objective “ to do more for the people in two
years than the Communists were able to do
in ten years” is so important. This is the
first instance in history where a Communist
government has been replaced by a free
one. The whole world is watching to see
which does the better job. If Castillo
Armas’ goal is realized. Communism will
suffer a blow from which it can never
recover in the Americas.
This brings me to the basic question,
what should the policy of our government
be toward Latin America?
I can best explain this by repeating the
gist of a speech 1 made recently in Los
Angeles. Our Latin American policy over
the years has been too haphazard, too much
a matter of stops and starts, of big talks
and very little action. 1 can remember
when everybody began learning Spanish or
Portuguese, joined study groups on Latin
American history or culture, even learned
how to cook Mexican or Peruvian or
Brazilian dishes. That was fine. The trou
ble was that the interest lasted only through
a half-dozen verbs or books or dishes.
Very much the same sort of thing has
happened in government. Often an official
report is made advocating a program bene
ficial to Latin America and also to us. It
is enthusiastically received. Everybody is
excited about it for a few weeks. Then the
report is filed and nobody thinks about it
again. . .
DHliiiMUaM
This spasmodic interest is unfortunate
because the destinies of all the Americas
are linked together in many ways.
We sell more to Latin America than to
all of Europe put together.
There are 10 million more people in
Latin America than in the U.S. today.
They are our closest friends and neigh
bors, our valuable allies. But because of
their proximity, they could also be dan
gerous enemies.
Therefore, certain conclusions appear
incontestable;
1. Collective Security. We should con
tinue to work with other American repub
lics in the Organization of American States
and in the UN.
When the peace of one part of the
hemisphere is threatened, the security of
all parts may be in danger. Conversely, we
Continued on next page
Thim Week Mmgmminr Auguat 7, 1955