815.00 Revolutions/465
The Minister in El Salvador ( Corrigan ) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 27.]
Sir:
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The Department is aware that a social autograph from the President of the United States was recently publicized in the Costa Rican press as constituting an endorsement on the part of our government of President Ubico’s action in extending his tenure of office for eight years. Powerful dictatorially inclined leaders are now taking a cynical attitude toward constitutional government, inspired by the belief that the non-intervention feature so widely heralded as part of the Good Neighbor Policy gives them a free hand in the re-establishment of the old order of rule by force. Because of the fact that military interventions, or threatened interventions, have given rise to most of the pre-existent bad feeling against the United States in their republics, it is but natural that the negative doctrine of non-intervention has been especially stressed and given paramount publicity in connection with the promulgation of the attitude of a good neighbor. It seems timely to ask the Department for an instruction which might begin to develop or clarify to this and other Missions similarly situated the positive aspects of the good neighbor policy.
The powerful influence of our Missions is an established fact which leads political elements in these countries, and the public as well, to expect either opposition or cooperation. A completely negative position is unlikely of acceptance and subject to misinterpretation. Failure of a Mission to use its influence constructively may become a sin of omission with consequences fully as grievous as the former sins of commission. It would be useful to know the Department’s point of view as to possible preventive steps which might be taken in advance of the rapidly developing situation alluded to in the earlier part of this [Page 127] despatch. Liberal elements, some of which have been formerly active critics of the United States and bitter opponents of intervention have indicated to me that the co-operation (by diplomatic means) of the United States is more than welcome when it seeks to retain progress, and prevent bloodshed and the establishment of autocratic régimes and actual setting up of dictatorships such as the Machado régime in Cuba1 and the Gomez dictatorship in Venezuela. They feel that a Liberal Government like that of the United States with its immense power and moral influence should lend its aid and cooperation in every peaceful way to retain progress and ideals and to aid the evolution of these countries toward real democratic republican government such as at present exists in Costa Rica. While realizing that the problems which occupy the Department make difficult the formulation of policies in advance of actual events, I respectfully submit the foregoing information and comment for reference and study in advance of probabilities in this area and to make some small contribution to a background upon which Departmental policy might be based and should the Department consider it advisable, instructions be issued to officers in the field, particularly in the development of a positive side of the Good Neighbor Policy and to emphasize the fact that it takes more than one good neighbor to make a good neighborhood.
Respectfully yours,