Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-02-23
BY CASTOR NERVAL.


A NEW issue of postage stamps
" has brought again to the lime
~ light one of the oldest and
most controversial interna-
tional disputes over territory in the
Western Hemisphere The Argentine
government recently issued stamps
showing the Falkland Islands, or Islas
Malvinas, to be Argentine territory. In
the House of Commons at London
aroused members of Parliament pre-
vailed upon the British foreign secre-
tary to voice the official protest of his
majesty's government.
The young and energetic Mr.. Eden
welcomed the opportunity of stating
that. in so far as the issue of the
stamps is based on the assertion of an
Argentine claim to the Falkland Is
lands, his majesty's government can
not admit any such claim, as the
islands are British territory" The
British foreign secretary added, ac-
cording to press reports, that the Brit
ish Ambassador in Buenos Aires had
been instructed to point out that mo
useful purpose can be served by the
stamps, which can only be detrimental
to the good relations of the two coun-
tries"
Argentine statesmen and, in general
all students of history who may be
familiar with the facts of the famous
Falkland Island controversy will find
ample reason to disagree with the SOL
emn announcement of Mr.. Eden.
In the dawn of the year 1888 two
British warships, the Clio and the
Tyne, proceeding on royal orders, dis
embarked troops on the Falkland
Islands and took possession OF them
in the name of his Britannia majesty.
The islands were then under the SOW
ereignty of the lndependept govern
ment of Buenos Aires, or OF the United
Provinces of the Rio de Ia Plata, as
the Argentine government was called
at the time, which had inherited them
from Spain at the conclusion OF its
successful war of liberation from the
Spanish crown.
United States Agrees With England.
This attack having taken place less
than 10 years after the now historic
message of President Monroe, the
United States might have been ex-
pected to take sides with the Buenos
Aires government. Far from that,
however, the United States not only
failed to denounce this usurpation Of
Argentine sovereignty, this new COL
onization of American territory by a
European power, but it indirectly sup
ported it and, afterward. it sane.
toned it officially. The excuse given
by the United states was that 1.-The
RESUMPTION of actual occupation of
the Falkland Islands by Great Britain
in 1888 took place under a claim Of
title which had been previously as
serted and maintained by that gov
ernment," and that the Monroe Doc
trine. not having retroactive nature,
did not apply, which was tantamount
to admitting and indorsing the British
claim of sovereignty. That had, also,
been the excuse advanced by Great
Britain to justify the aggression. Thus
the United States, by refusing to act,
really upheld and supported the Brit
ish appropriation Of Argentine ter
ritory.
For many long years after the
seizure of the Falklands by Great
Britain the British claim of legal
sovereignty was the subject of heated
arguments among authorities on in
ternational affairs. English advocates,
and particularly the spokesman for
the British government, based 1t on
two grounds-prior discovery and the
DECLARATIONS of Ill.," which, with the
consent of Spain, had reinstated at
Port Egmont, in the Falklands. British
authorities previously expelled by
Spanish forces. A