Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-24
nY CHARLES M. PEPPER.

orTTH AMERICAN develop
~ ments in the great war drama
-. have been obscured by the Rus
~ sian developments. But the
shirt of inquiry is abroad, and there is
a desire to know just what is going on
in South America, and particularly in
Argentina.
The general question as to the south
ern continent may be answered brieny.
South America as a. whole Is sui
strongly anti-German. and most OF the
South American countries are agrees
sively pro-ally. Some OF them nave
taken very positive measures to show
where they stand. s'-' '-''
Brazil. of course, leads the list. The
government recently has issued green
book, which. according to the cable dis-
patches, gives full details OF t rs uip ~.
matte and other measures from the
opening of hostilities in 1914 up TO
Brazirs own declaration of war with
Germany.
X X
The substance of this governments
summary of activities is that Brazil is
nursuing unswervingly her policy of
accord with the United States. and that
naturally means accord with France
England, Italy and Portugal. her
mother country.
The informed German ships have been
made available for the allies by turn.
ing them over to France. So much of
the coffee crop as the United States has
not been able to absorb is taken 10
France. The most significant feature
of Brazirs action is the thoroughness
with which she has met the German
menace. both within and without. There
is no longer apprehension that the part
Of southern Brazil. in which the Ger,
man colonists of sixty years ago ana
their descendants live and maintain
Teutonic customs and speak the Ger
men language. can become a mschlsI-
maker Martial law. which was de-
cJared in certain districts, it is stated,
has been abrogated, and this is the
hest evidence that internal conditions
are not threatening.
When it comes to stopping the German
,,ronaFanda from without the government
ineaslres are complete. Nothing German
whether in the form Of goods or docu-
ments, books or newspapers, gets INTO
Brazil, and there Is no section .,,a OF In. une
ture to carry on subsidized propaganda II
it were SO inclined.
Uruguay. although a neutral; also has
taken t tnaot tbis is bsnexoient neutrality
and is maintained for the benefit Of the
allies In particular have there been evil
deces of friendship for the United States.
Positive means of showing that Uruguay
is on the side Of the allies was the offer
Of a loan of $50,0O0,000 to England and
France Those countries have not seen
fit to accept the offer, possibly because,
locking forward. they do not feel it ad-
visable to commit themselves to shipping
gold to Uruguay when the war is over, and
this would be one of the results of the
loan. But they have shown their ap-
p-eciation of Urueuay's friendly attitude.
Argentina Is still something of puz-
zle When Ambassador Naon left
Washington. a few months ago no con-
cealment was made of the motive in his
returning home. 1t was stated, with
some degree of authority, that If his
government did not square itself with
the civilized world by taking proper
action on the breach of neutrality in
volved in the Luxburg dispatches. the
ambassador would resign.
The disclosures of the. German in
trigue made through the action of the
State Department in making public the
dispatches between Minister Luxburg
and Berlin. seemed to justify the am
bassador in his reported determination.
* .. -
In Argentina the diplomatic service is
looked upon as life career. DR.. Naon
is one Of the most eminent Of the Ar
gentine diplomats. His retirement from
the service, therefore; would be some
thing more than a. mere withdrawal
from diplomatic life for private or-per-
sonsl reasons. 1t would be loss to the
nation.
After the ambassador reached Buenos
Aires only fragmentary news was re-