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Problems in Pan Americanism by Samuel Guy Inman

Review by: J. Fred RippyThe Journal of International Relations, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Apr., 1922), pp. 590-592Published by:Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/29738529 .

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590 BOOK REVIEWS

international cooperation and trust, the preponderance of theevidence is against the former. What makes for it and sustains itis, he thinks, something in the original nature of man, the basictrend toward coercion, domination, force, which overrules in?telligence and directs policy in politics, economics and even sex.This trend, he believes, can be controlled, modified, and redirected.The repressive conduct of governments and the others in war timeis the best proof that their defence of war on the ground that "youcan't change human nature" is purely ad hoc, since that policyis itself an attempt to change it. Change is possible, but it cancome about only through a change of heart.

Mr. AngelPs political argument is sound and inevitable. Hispsychology is, however, somewhat naive, and his psychologicalprerequisite to internationalism too much like counsel of despair.A change of situation or of habit or both ismuch easier to effectthan a change of heart, and just as likely to bring about the de?sired results.

H. M. Kallen,New School for Social Research.

Problems in Pan Americanism. By Samuel Guy Inman. NewYork, George H. Doran Company, 1921. vii, 415 p.

The author of this book is not, strictly speaking, a statesman,a political scientist, or a historian; but he is a missionary in thebroad, modern sense of that term. He has been connected withProtestant missionary effort in Latin America for many years andhe is now secretary of a committee which represents an attempton the part of the Protestant denominations to cooperate in the

Hispanic American field.He has travelled much in the countries

south of the Rio Grande, he has met and conversed with many oftheir leaders, he has dipped into their literature, wrestled withtheir problems, and acquired an appreciation of their culture,their character, and their manner of life. He has written thisvolume with the avowed intention of creating a better under?standing and promoting a warmer friendship between the two

Americas. He has stated the purpose and scope of his book asfollows:

In the first place, an effort is made to have the reader share inthe author's admiration of and belief in the future of the LatinAmerican people. Since it is unfair, however, in drawing up thebalance sheet of our friends to have only the credit side presented,the outstanding problems of our southern neighbors are also

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BOOK REVIEWS 591

given, largely as they themselves have stated them. With thesefriendly contacts established, history is reviewed to show that inthe early days, both in the North and in the South, there werewarm reciprocal desires for Continental Solidarity, incarnated inSimon Bolivar of the South and Henry Clay of the North. Butthe Mexican War started a current of suspicion, which the SpanishAmerican War and the extension of North American control overthe Caribbean countries developed into hatred. The MonroeDoctrine is shown to have been well received in Latin America;reasons for later dislike of it are given, as well as the place theSouthern Americans would like to see the doctrine occupy today,in view of the new international situation developed by theWorldWar. The Significance of the various Pan American Conferences,from Panama in 1826 toWashington in 1916, is discussed and theradical changes brought about by the World War in the wholeproblem of Inter-American Friendship are studied. Next are dis?cussed two outstanding questions, without the understandingof which no one can have a deep appreciation of the presentstatus of American Relations. These are the problems connectedwith the intervention of the United States in the affairs of thesmall countries of the Caribbean and the resultant growth ofthe influential school of Pan Latinists, formed by the leadingwriters of the South who are strongly opposed to the Pan Ameri?canists. Finally an effort is made to point out a few practicalsteps that North Americans might take to overcome the handicapsof past mistakes and misunderstandings and build up a trueAmerican friendship in which both those of the North and thoseof the South shall be united in the motto, suggested by an Argen?tine president, "America for Humanity."Since the book iswritten by a North American forNorth Ameri?cans, the recognized right of one to criticise those of his own house?hold has been used freely.If I have presented here largely the blame attached to NorthAmericans for the inharmony of the past, it is not because it wouldnot be easy to show the blame lying at the door of our neighbors.But others have done that, sometimes ad nauseam. I thereforeprefer to help us magnify the good qualities of our neighbors andscrutinize carefully our own bad qualities as the best policy forbuilding up international, as it is for building up personal friend?ships. (Foreword, pp. v-vi.)

Mr. Inman has written for those Americans who reside northof the Rio Grande and they will do well to read his book. Hisknowledge of contempory currents, opinions, and conditions inHispanic America is unusual for a North American. If he oftenreveals the missionary bent, the scientific student will know howto make due allowance, for Inman does not sail under false colors.He is absolutely frank, intensely earnest, and generally unpreju?diced and fairly accurate when dealing with historical matters.

THE JOURNALOF INTERNATIONALRELATIONS,VOL. 12, NO. 4, 1922



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592 BOOK REVIEWS

The most conspicuous defects of his book are his failure to dis?tinguish clearly between Hispanic Americanism and Pan Ameri?canism; his failure to appreciate the strength of the Pan Hispanicmovement and to give sufficient emphasis to the anti-Yankeepropaganda of the European nations, particularly the French,the Spanish, and the Germans; and his inaccuracies and neglectof proper form in bibliographical matters.

Perhaps it should be noted, also, that his view of the MexicanWar is not in harmony with the findings of the most recent

scholarly research in that field. It may be best from Mr. Inman'sviewpoint not to talk too much about this side of the matter,but it would be hard to prove that that war was the piece of pure,unmitigated aggression which he represents it to be; and ifMr.Inman should investigate the contemporary Hispanic Americanreaction to the war he might be surprised at the results of hisinquiry. J. Fred Rippy,

University of Chicago.


journal of international relations - 1922 - 19.pdf

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