FDR+and+the+Good+Neighbor+Policy

4/30/08 American History Block 5 __FDR and the Good Neighbor Policy__

For over seventy years Franklin D. Rooseveltas original Good Neighbor Policy has developed into the security of the entire Western Hemisphere. Today, Pan Americanism highlights the United Statesa policies toward Latin American, which has developed from Rooseveltas vision of the United States being a good neighbor. Franklin D. Rooseveltas development of the Good Neighbor Policy established a better relationship with Latin America and the entire Western Hemisphere.

Prior to the twentieth century, the United States was still an expanding country trying to find its place in the world. At the turn of the century, President Theodore Roosevelt realized the importance of establishing relationships and cooperation with countries closest to the United States. Theodore Roosevelt, while overseeing the construction of the Panama Canal, saw first hand the turbulence, which governed much of the Latin American countries at that time. Teddy Roosevelt stated, aa|We should get those turbulent republics to reunite into one strong block that would do away with their chronic wars and revolutions.a (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) To that end, Teddyas Roosevelt brokered The Marblehead Truce of 1906 between warring Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. It was the first peace treaty for the Central American States. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) This eventually led to an international Central American peace conference at Washington in 1907 under the sponsorship of the United States and Mexico. Every country was there except for Nicaragua. The overall purpose of the conference was to realize permanent peace, arbitration of future differences and to promote Central American solidarity. For the next twenty-five years, countries in both Central and South America continued to have a many disputes. The United States continued to support its Latin American neighbors economically, in military defense and as a broker for peace. In 1931, President Herbert Hoover traveled to South America for a better understanding of the relations between Latin American countries and the United States. Upon returning, President Hoover ordered the removal of all United States military from Nicaragua and Haiti. This gesture completed the eventual foundation for Franklin Rooseveltas Good Neighbor Policy. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933, America was hurting from the Great Depression and forced him to make domestic affairs his first priority. President Roosevelt dismissed foreign affairs for the time being, at least with the appropriate statement in his inaugural address where he said, aIn the field of world policy I would dedicate this nation to the policy of the good neighbor-the neighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights of others.a Roosevelt believed it was extremely important to improve relations with Central and South American countries. Under his leadership, the United States emphasized cooperation and trade rather than military force to maintain peace in the hemisphere. (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/id/17341.htm)

In December, 1933 Franklin Roosevelt sent his Secretary of State, Cordell Hull to the Montevideo Peace Conference were he backed a non-aggression pact with Latin America pending complete agreement on disarmament. This non-aggression pact of stated, aNo state has the right to intervene in the internal or external affairs of another.a Roosevelt stated, aThe definite policy of the United States from now on is one opposed to armed intervention.a (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/id/17341.htm) This made a more sympathetic attitude of the United States towards Latin America. On December 24, 1936 Panama ratified its treaty with the United States abolishing the military protectorate over that country which satisfied the Panamanians and made the United States a maintenance worker for the canal and the entire Canal Zone. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) When this happened the State Department shrank from itas promoting of the Good Neighbor policy in favor of cultural propaganda actively assisting cultural exchange by other private educational endowments. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) The initial views of the Good Neighbor Policy had been slow to stimulate the United States government to assume an active leadership in inter-American cultural exchange. In order to better promote cultural exchange with Latin America the U.S. State Department used the Carnegie Endowment as the principle instrument to promote cultural exchange. While the Carnegie Endowment offered much in the way of cultural exchanges with visiting professors and speakers, they were unable to solicit much government support. The United States government took only a passive interest in this phase of international relations, choosing instead to foster economic investment in Latin America. One of the most important phases of the United Statesa Latin American policy was the prodigious effort to use the cultural and intellectual resources of a certain country, backed by its material and moral strength to convince the Latin American people of the sincerity of the Good Neighbor Policy. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) In 1936, United States investments in mines, oil, properties, branch factories, public utilities, plantations, banking and distribution enterprises amounted to 2,963,000,000 or 43% of all direct investments of America. Half the investments were in industries dependant on exports for their existence and profits. Somewhat less than one half, 1,300,000,000 represented non-exporting industries. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) The Good Neighbor Policy through the United Statesa investments into Latin American businesses and in the creation of American businesses in Latin America, developed a adollar diplomacya (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) throughout the new world. Americaas influence throughout Latin America created friction between these countries and the United States, to the extent that many Latin American countries started to protest the extensive involvement America had in their countries. It can be viewed that many Latin American countries allowed the United States to invest heavily in their countriesa futures, but then complained of imperialism when they felt exploited by American nationals. Latin American countries stated they felt the United Statesa influences in their countries constituted an indirect intervention of some sort and consequently belied the Good Neighbor policy. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) By 1938, the tension over the United Statesa perceived intervention in Latin American affairs came to a halt with The Pan American Conference in Peru. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) The Declaration of American Principles were developed as rules to help guide the United States and Latin American countries in learning how to communicate and strengthen relations. These principles stated: - Intervention of any state in the internal affairs of another is inadmissible. - All differences of international character should be settled by peaceful means. - Use of force as an instrument of national policy in prohibited. - States should be governed by the precepts of international law. - Respect and faithful observance of treaties constitute the indispensable rule of development of peaceful relations between states. - Peaceful collaboration between representatives of the various states and an understanding of each statesa problems make peace easier. - Economic reconstruction contributes to national and international well-being as well as to peace among nations. - International cooperation is a necessary condition to the maintenance of the above principles. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis)

This Declaration of American Principles led to the institution of the Declaration of the Principles of the Solidarity of America. These principles stated: - To reaffirm their continental solidarity and their purpose to collaborate in the maintenance of these principles. - Faithful to the above-mentioned principles and their absolute sovereignty we reaffirm to maintain and defend each other against foreign intervention - In the case of peace, security and territorial integrity, republics will act independently in their capacity to be judge as a sovereign state. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis)

The United Statesa views of the security of the anew worlda supported the safety of the continental republic and that has always been the real touchstone of the Latin American policy. How fortunate the Good Neighbor policy had cemented the solidarity of the American Republics in an interlude of security before the menace of Hitler rose so visibly across the Atlantic.

In 1940 a meeting of Latin American foreign ministers in Havana, Cuba fulfilled the Latin American policy of the United States. With the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in 1941, the supreme test of the U.S. Latin American policy came to a head. aThe policy was built on the basis of Continental security, independence and solidaritya. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) The republics of the new world said any attempt against the territory or sovereignty of one of them should be viewed as an act of aggression against them all. Immediately after Pearl Harbor the countiesa who had the closest intervention with the United States, namely Cuba, Panama, Haiti, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic declared war against the Axis powers. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis) Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with Germany, Italy and Japan. Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Uruguay proclaimed neutrality, however they would not treat the United States as a belligerent nation. There was continental security, solidarity, and sovereignty. aThe Republics of the New Worlda (FDR The War President Kenneth S. Davis) created a silent brotherhood. One for all and all for one.

For over seventy years Americaas Good Neighbor Policy has developed into a Latin American Policy. Today, Pan Americanism is the modern Good Neighbor Policy. The United Statesa Latin American Policy has in our time developed into the security of the entire Western Hemisphere. (Latin American Policy Of The United States An Historical Interpretation, Bemis)