The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-11
. BEHIND l THE SCENES WASHING NCTON AV ROONEY DUTcAER-b
 Democrat Washington
 Correspondent
TOSumnerWeneS Goes The Task
 Of WoOing Back
 Brazil's Favor

Washington, Dec. 11-Dapper Un- dersecretary of State Sumner Welles has just esSayed the role of a fellow who publicly defends his girl friend against local criticism. In this case the gal happens to be Brazil. But Welles really is whistlinE in the dark.
 In rebuking . large section of
 the American press for assuming
 promptly that the new system of
 government established by BraZiPs President GetuliO Vargas was es- sentially Fascist, Welles was right at least to the extent that he de- nied, by implication, reports that the new Vargas regime was in- timately or even loosely associated with or promoted by the Italian Fascist or German Maxi govern ments.
 The motive was to say something sweet and pretty which would please Miss Brazil, who admittedly has Hit Ter and Mussolini among her suitors. Locally, however, the effect was to please the Fascist-minded group in the State Department and to dis tress those who dislike anything which appears to be an official en- couragement of Fascisn.
 U. S. WOOing Brazils Favor
 The State Department, realizing that it has competition for Brazilian affections, feels that 1t must over- look certain imperfections as Roosevelt did in his pious tributes to the Latin American democratic tra- dition while visiting the land of Latin-American dictatorships.
 Totalitarian principles are in- herent in the new Brazilian set- up. The new constitution carries provisions vividly reminiscent of MussOlini and Hitler, especially as they apply to supervision over in- dustry. Freedom of the press" in Brazil means that newspaper can print whatever 1t likes just as long as President Vargas and his crowd do not consider its criti- cisms dangerous to the regime.
 MT. Vargas, however, has been ac- tuated by fondness for his job and a desire to hang onto 1t indefinitely, rather than by influences of Fascist and Nazi organizations in his own country. Confidential State Depart ment advices indicate that he de- clared a crusade against Commit nists, whom he accused of inperiling the Brazilian form of government, in much the same manner that Amer ican politicians often do the same thing.
 Tn short, 1t appears that Vargas is a demagog in his own right rather than Hitler or Mussolini pal. Brazil Fears Border Attacks
 Traditionally, relations of the United States with Brazil have been closer than with any South Ameri- can republic. These two nations are the only non-Spanish speaking countries in the western hemisphere (Brazilians speak Portuguese).
 Brazil, whose vast and loosely controlled territory touches every South American country except Chile, always has feared attack by some combination of Spanish speaking countries which might result in detachment of some of her outlying states. Hence has arisen what amounts in effect to a Brazilian American alliance.
 Brazil is still anxious to maintain that alliance and so Is the United States. The Vargas government is much more pro-Washington than pro-Berlin or pro-Rome. Just the same, Vargas can hardly help but observe the success of Mussolini and Hitler in retaining their places. Many Europeans in Brazil
 In Brazil there are 1,500,000 Ital- ian citizens and 100000 German cit- izeils, all under pressure from home- land governments desiring to estab- fish new spheres of influence. And Vargas, in his foreign relations, is in a position to play both ends against the middle.
 The Vargas government previ- ously has played with and used the Fascist Integralista party, which was In close league-money, policy and leadership-wlth Ger
 many and Italy.
 But the State Department was de- lighted to note that Vargas threw the 1ntegralistas overheard after his last campaign and has now made them take of their green shirts by abolishing all political parties. The Integralistas are very sore.
 Copyright 1887, NEA Service, Incl