Globe and Hemisphere: Latin America's Place in the Postwar Foreign Relations of the United States

A FEELING of neglect seems to have permeated Latin America, or at least its official circles, since the middle of 1945; and Latin Americans have expressed this feeling on so many occasions that they have succeeded in communicating it to a number of diplomatic agents and lawmakers of the United States. But it is not the purpose of this chapter to present Latin-American complaints or illustrate the views of United States officials whose sympathies have been aroused by them. It will be limited to a summary of the aid extended by the United States government to this region during the first decade following World War II ( July 1, 1945-June 30, 1955, unless otherwise stated). Some readers may be surprised at the variety of channels through which this assistance has flowed, but it is hoped that none will conclude that the survey here offered is a sort of attorney's brief for the United States. Its primary objective is to direct attention to the facts and the figures.

The Office of Business Economics of the Department of Commerce has been assigned the task of keeping abreast of the grants and credits extended to foreign countries by the United States government since it assumed major responsibility for the "peace and prosperity" of the world. But while that office has exhibited commendable industry in assembling and publishing data, its figures are incomplete. Statistics included in Table 20 have been compiled from one of its recent publications -- omitting, how

-81-