Evening star., 1940-07-18
By JOHN T. WHITAKER,

More than that, he has built q
magnificent military machine which
in a matter Of weeks, destroyed
France, militarily, and which
threatens to obliterate the British
Empire. which was not only a po-
litical entity but way of life upon
which the gold standard and liberal
commercialism was founded.
Thus trade losses by Germany and
Italy in South America during II
months Of British blockade are prob
ably merely temporary setbacks and
the Axis is confident that they can
be quickly overcome by new trade
and propaganda efforts based upon
the isolation-and isolationism-of
the United States, and by the very
momentum which Hitler's successes
have generated behind the totali-
tartan revolutions.
Axis Propaganda Begun.
AS Washington prepares to meet
at Havana with the Latin American
republics. the Axis is already launch
ing the first of its propaganda. Dis
patches here from Buenos Aires de-
clare that the South Americans con-
slider Washington's defense efforts
to be merely disguise for the venal
materialism of the Yankees. Hitler's
preparations for economic domina-
ton are Yankee excuse for WASH
ington's efforts to deny raw ma
terials and foodstuffs to Europe
The North Americans. as usual, it
is said, are interested only in the
almighty dollar.
This propaganda is very intelli-
gently adapted to various groups.
Financial circles are told that the
Axis can free them of the loans ex-
tended by the United States: the
budding industralists are told that
the Axis can enable them to ex-
propriate factories and mines pio-
neered by the Yankees, while the
politicians are told that, by CO.
operating with the Axis, they can
have the arms and techniques with
which to maintain the relationships.
To this is added the argument
that Spanish Americans have cul-
tural ties with Europe and that
Washington represents Jews, Ma
sons and Reds. This correspondent
in a trip last year through the
Americas to the south, was i'm
pressed with the effectiveness OF
these propaganda efforts, but axis
quarters here are confident nov
that they have further and far
reaching advantages. There are two
important developments between
the period of the Lima and the
Havana conferences.
No Vatical Support Now.
The Lima meeting brought Bit
ter attacks both from Berlin an6
Rome. but they were countered
somewhat by the attitude which
the Vatican assumed. Negotiating
with President Franklin D. Roose.
welt for an Ambassador who ulti.
mately was sent to Rome, the Vat.
ican welcomed Washington's trade
and political effort to organize the
Western Hemisphere against to.
talitarisn revolution. Today Wash.
lngton can expect no Vatican
support.
The church, at the moment, /.
utterly surrounded by totalitarian.
ism and the Vatican is compelled
to yield. It's oficial newspaper, tn.
Osservatore Romano, has renouncec
the right to publish British wal
communicates or to make politica
comment on the steady advance o1
the axis. In this situation, the Vati.
can has indicated, moreover, that II
approves the Fascist government
organized In France by Marsha
Henri Philippe Petain and Pierr,
Laval (premier and vice premier
respectively. and that 1t hopes tt
see the totalitarian regime of othel
cooperative states. such as those O
Portugal and Brazil, spread through
out the world. Clever propaganda
should be able to persuade South
America that the church has be.
come the champion of totahtar'
ianism.
Victory of Totalitarianism.
The second development sine,
Lima is the victory of totalitarian.
ism in Spain. Brought to power b,
Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini
Generalissimo Francisco Franco
leader of the Spanish state, wants
not only Gibraltar and Morocco, bu
also the domination of South Amer.
lea by Spain once again. The Mon.
roe Doctrine was enunciated to pre-
vent Spain, in a similar allianc,
with reactionary forces, from re.
gaining the Spanish American colo
nies which won their independents,
by privations and military daring a.
real as any shown at Valley Forg,
or Yorktown.
It is significant, therefore, tina
Spain has found a pretext to rup
ture relations with Chile. Tha
country has a Popular Front gov
ernment about as red as that O
the former Paul Reynaud govern
ment succeeded by Petain's, but 1t
policy was one Of 100 per cent CO
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