Evening star., 1939-06-18
Gen. MOnteirO's Visit Chance
To Soothe Ruffled Brazilians
Tour of Army Leader May Help Heal Wounds
Inflicted During Foreign Minister Aranha's
Recent Stay in United States
By Constantine Broom.

received an invitation from Hitler ask
ing him to come to Germany this sum.
mer to inspect the army and saying that,
as sign OF the high esteem and con.
slderation in which he personally held
the Brazilian Army chief. he wished to
offer to him the command for one day
OF the German Army after the maneu.
vers were over. A similar invitation
without command however-was re-
ceived by the Brazilian chief of staff
from Italy.
Gen. Monteiro, like most of the South
American army men, is impressed by the
efficiency of the totalitarian forces. He
also is in favor of the totahtarian form
of government
Monteiro Powerful.
Monteiro is one of the leading men in
the Brazilian government-the war min
lister is merely his mouthpiece in the
cabinet-and favors close cooperation
with the totalitarian states. Next to
Vargas and Aranha he is the strongest
man in the country. Monteiro accepted
the invitations of Hitler and Mussolini
with alacrity.
In the meantime reports were received
in Washington that Aranha was on the
spot; that something ought to be done
TO mellow the Brazilian people, since
the totalitarian propaganda was spread
ing news that Brazils foreign minister
had been sighted on his visit here. Re-
ports were spread, for instance, that
there had been no special courtesies of
any kind-except the most rudimentary
requirements which the State Depart
ment could not overlook-when Aranha
visited America; that he was allowed
10 cool his heels in Washington for a
long time before he saw the President
and that he was invited to luncheon at
the White House only a few DAYS before
he left the country, and then only after
1t had been reported to the White House
that Aranha felt sighted had taken
Pullman accommodations to 90 to New
York and planned to return to Brazil
without accomplishing anything in the
United States.
NNo6SNiobOu iCpOl Us pTOQuCeQ
the desired repercussions in Brazil The
opponents OF the Vargas administration
mad their hands strengthened by ths
Nazl and Fascist propaganda. Monteiro
was more eager than ever to 60 to Ger.
many and make his visit there possibly
something more than the ordinary cour-
tesy visit of an officer to his colleagues
in the German Army.
State Department Worried.
These developments worried the White
House and the State Department. Since
Gen. Malin Craig was due to retire in
August. the President decided to appoint
his successor immediately Gen. Mar.
shall was appointed chief of staff and.
within week after his appointment was
approved by Congress. he was rushed to
Brazil to pay state visit to the Brazilian
Army and to his new colleague. Gen.
Monteiro. He also carried an official
invitation from the United States Armv
to visit Washington and inspect the
American Army posts.
Gen. Marshall was received with the
S''e'A WI eiioiCy al OOulH americans eX.
tend to their visitors There was no
question OF his looking after his own
baggage-as the anti-American propa-
ganda maintained that Aranha had had
to do in the United States; neither did
ne and his subordinate officers have to
wait for one and half hours side
tracked in a special car-as the same
propaganda reported that Aranha had
had to do in New Jersey when his special
car was attached to the train taking him
TO Washington. The reception of Mar
shall was warm and cordial. Monteiro
accepted the invitation of the American
Army with joy. But for the time being
he is still determined to visit Hitler in
Germany and Mussolini in Italy
How important these visits will be de-
pends very largely on how the Brazilian
strong man is impressed by his visit in
this country. Maybe, because he is not q
vigorous advocate of indissoluble tie,
with the United States, he will be re-
celved with greater consideration than
that shown to Aranha. who had become.
IN the eyes of the administration, "iust
one OF u.s." Maybe we shall treat him
as foreigner; consequently show him
more courtesy and regard than we would
ordinarily show to a good and devoted
friend.