An Assessment of Current American Influence in Latin America

Influence is quite distinct from popularity or image. Our firm stance in the Dominican Republic last year was not popular in Latin America, but it had profound influence, and probably cleared up any remaining doubt as to the serious view taken by the United States toward the threat of another Communist takeover in a neighboring area by indirect aggres sion. Hopefully, in the future the Organization of American States will put enough teeth and timeliness into its collective security functions under the Rio Treaty so that member states will not again be faced with such a problem. But American in fluence is persistent and pervasive in areas other than that of realpolitik. The exemplar role of the United States has been significant since the era of Independence; this can stem as much from the conduct of our domestic affairs as it does from our foreign affairs, for example, on the positive side, the 1960 elec tion of the first Catholic President, John F. Kennedy, and, on the negative side, our civil-rights drama. Important influence is exercised through education, economic ties, and co-operative instruments like the Inter-American Bank and the Alliance for Progress. The influence of one constructive initiative is im measurable : Frank Laubach's theme, "each one teach one"; Rotary's "service above self"; the disaster relief of the Red Cross; and the living testimony to American concern for others of the Peace Corps.