The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-12-26

Also, whether we like 1t or not, this war has put the Pan.Amer- lean neutrality policy very much on the spot.
 SCENE l in this policy was Panama last September when Suave, astute Sumner Welles, Un- der Secretary of State and the real author of Roosevelt's dQod, Neighbor policy. arrived to weld c uniform neutrality policy for the Americas.
 One day after his arrival, Sum- ner began to call upon PAn.Amer. ican diplomats.
 "What we need to do," he said In effect, "iS to cooperate not merely In economic matters, but In political and naval problems. Pan.America must face Eur ope's war threat as . unit"
 Supporting Welles were most of the 20 Latin American republics. Reluctant and lethargic toward any unified neutrality policy was Argentina, most individualistic of the South Americas. Finally, how ever, Welles emerged with e dec- laration against Europeans wag- ing war within about 300 miles of the American coast. No German, French or British warships could poke inquisitive guns at iners chant shipping inside this area.
 SCENE 2 occurred last week. when the Admiral Graf Spec took refuge in Montevideo harbor after fighting c losing battle within eyesight Of the Uruguay shore. in plain violation of the Pan-Amer. lean neutrality policy.
 In this battle, newspapers inlss- cd tho importance of tho fact that the fire control tower Of the Spec was put out of commission. The holes in her hull were not i'm" portant. But the damage to her fire control tower. nerve center of her whole firing system, rendered her ii-inch guns useless,
 That was why she wanted to lay Up tn Montevideo for repairs. That also was why she was Scut- tied. If she had ventured out to meet the British cruisers, she would have been lost. For her sys- tenn of controlling her giant guns was gutted.
 Therefore, Captain Langsdorff. who later killed himself, pleaded with Uruguayan authorities to let him remain longer-at least i5 days. But after the commander of the Spec got through plead- ing, he resorted to threats. He threatened to stay in Montevideo whether the Uruguayans liked 1t or not. He let drop the hint that the Admiral Graf Spec was an extremely powerful warship, with sufficient supplies to last q long time, and that Uruguay had no naval force to intern her.
 If the Uruguayan officials
 tried to come aboard, the Ger
 man explained warned, they
 would be out of luck. Captain
 Langsdorff wanted to remain
 long enough to get his fire eon-
 troI tower repaired. He even
 dropped . hint that his ship
 could infIict terrific damage
 on the city of Montevideo.
 All these conversations took place in the privacy of the UT. uguayan Foreign office, and were not reported except in diplomatic dispatches to various govern- mentg.
 SCENE 3-BUENOS AIRES
 One government which heard about them Gin addition to the United Staes oovernment) was that of Brazil. The Brazilian For- eign Minister, fortnight Oswaldo Aranha, telephoned ct once to Foreign Minister Cantiiio of Ar- gentina.
 "If Germany threatens Uru- guay," he said In effect, "Ar. gcntina and Brazil must work together, and, if necessary. sup- port Uruguay with military and naval reinforcements."
 Argentina's Foreign Minister Cantillo is q career diplomat and a very cautious man. However, the entire Argentine public was seething against Germany and praising Uruguay. So Cantilio's nngWer wag ~Yea0
 This ig significant For remem. Der that the Panama neutrality conference st which Sumner welles demanded . firm stand