Evening star., 1939-06-04
Hemisphere Solidarity Hinges
Largely on Aloof Argentina
If President Roosevelt Makes an Active Friend
of Nation, He Will Score Major
Diplomatic Victory
By Blair BoHes.

Although the sound and fury stirred
by the Presidents remarks on Argentine
corned beef have subsidized, the inter-
national issue which the controversy
Illuminated is still with us, growing more
significant every day. Canned willie is
curiouSly unglamorous dish to be used
as diplomatic catalyst but the thought
behind Mr. Roosevelts Nation shaking
corned beef observation was not the irri-
tatlon OF the native American steer and
his spokesmen in Congress, but the
friendship of the Argentines-the most
powerful of the South Americans.
II President Roosevelt makes an ac-
tive friend of Argentina for the United
States before the year is out, or even be-
fore his term is ended, he will have
taken major diplomatic STEP For the
continental solidarity policy will be some
thing less than solid so long as the
Buenos Aires government maintains the
attitude of polite aloofness from the
ideal of Western Hemisphere unity which
1t exhibited at the Lima Conference
This is Western Hemisphere year in
big way for Mr.. Roosevelt and Secre-
tary of State Hull. Brazil and Nicaragua
have been promised money. Chile, where
the German influence is strong, is send
ing a delegation here in the summer to
talk lnter-American friendship as
prelude to receiving the same sort of
handsome treatment accorded Brazil,
which wanted to throw off the German
economic yoke and brought its problem
to the United States Perhaps later Co.
lombia, another land within the Ger
man trading orbit, will be won to our
side. These are long strides However,
the Argentine question is greater than
the problem with any of these coun-
tries.
Diplomatic strategy requires that
nation SO important as Argentina be in
cluded among the firm friends of the
United States, And the prospect of for
eign trade profits suggests that we 20
after this friendship. The trouble with
the Argentine attitude toward the
United States is traceable partly to the
national ban on imports of Argentine
fresh beef. The corn willie" talk at
the White House was the polite ges-
placed American did not frown on the
Pampas COW. 1t was calculated to catch
the Argentine ear and make the Argen-
tine heart beat faster for the U. S. A.
Country Looks First to Europe.
There is more to the Argentine oues-
ton, however, than beef AS DR.. Jose
Maria Cantilo, Argentine foreign affairs
minister, said at Lima, his country ira
dltlonally looks first to Europe to which
1t is culturally linked This is a funda-
mental attitude, while beef bans can only
stir eradicable pique. So Mr. Roosevelt
and Mr.. Hull still have far to 60 with
the Argentines.
Although the German question which
is the bugaboo for us in many Latin
American countries scarcely exists in
Argentina, there is another European
cultural threat to the New World which
Is more dangerous than German eco
nomic imperialism to American Western
Hemisphere hopes because it is more
subtle. Gen Franco, the Iberian Fascist,
supposedly has evolved plan for in
spring in Spanish America a cultural
reawakening based on arousing SYM
pathy for the ancient patria, Spain. A
factor in this program is said to be an
appeal to the Spanish Americans feel
ing of superiority over the Indian, the
true American.
Since the Argentinian looks to Europe
and to Spain with more devoted eyes
than any other Latin American coun-
tries, the danger of the Franco programs
finding ready sympathy in Argentina is
considerable. With the culture is to 20
Fascist propaganda. The United States,
embarked on its policy of ridding South
America of European ideologies as an
essential part of the solidarity program.
cannot afford to let a European source
institute the cultural reaWakening aimed
at reminding South Americans that they
are first Spanish and second Americans
That fact is another spur pricking the
administration on its search for basis
Of real American accord with Argentina.
Britain Dominant in Market.
From the commercial point of view,
Great Britain is this country's chief rival
for Argentine affections. Rival is
scarcely the word, because Great Britain
has been dominant in the Argentine
market for years. The forward march
OF the United States in this market
from the percentage standpoinD has
been considerable during the past few
years. There was time when it figured
very little in Argentine trade figures.
We imported goods worth 113,82l 200
pesos (about s425OO,OOO) from the Ar
gentine in 1888, and sold her goods worth
25o,462 900 pesos. The disparity in the
balance in our favor was so great that
early this year the Buenos Aires govern
ment put limitation on Argentine pur-
chases in the United States. This action
Is another practical reason for our wish
ing greater amity with Buenos Aires. and
1t, too, helps explain the Presidents
wish to please Argentina, so that she will
look with more favor on the pronosed
reciprocal trade agreement.