Nice Idea

An Admiralty man in London inquired last week whether the U. S. expects Great Britain to let any nation or group of nations neutralize an area extending as far as 1,000 miles out on the high seas. The London Times said out loud: "Any action taken by an American Navy to enforce [the Declaration] would . . . amount to an act of war and nothing else."

Gruff old Rear Admiral Emory Scott Land, chairman of the U. S. Maritime Commission, barked on the White House steps: "It's a nice idea, but what are you going to do if somebody sticks his nose inside the zone?" If the U. S. Navy, with what help its weak sisters to the South can give, actually throws a line of peace police around the Americas, can the 22 German merchantmen now holed up in Latin American ports return to coastwise trade-lanes, cruise without fear of British men-o'-war? What if British and German raiders meet within the safety belt?

Secretary Hull put the Declaration of Panama on a strictly if-as-and-when basis: if belligerent France, Great Britain or Germany decline to recognize the American Neutral Zone, the American Republics will "consult," and see what is to be done next.

> Cordell Hull announced the start of negotiations with Chile for his 21st reciprocal trade treaty, his eleventh with Latin American nations.

> To step up immediate trade, the U. S. Export-Import Bank lent Chile $5,000,000.

> Assistant Secretary of Commerce Edward J. Noble called in eight consultants on Latin American trade to see whether World War II could be turned to account.

> Mexico announced that, for the first time since President Cardenas confiscated U. S. oil properties, the U. S. in September was the largest buyer of Mexican oil (640,000 barrels). Germany had bought none, presumably because none could be shipped past the British blockade.

>U. S. imports of Guatemalan chicle (for chewing gum) rose from 1,372,907 lbs. to 2,322,690 lbs. so far this year.

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