Evening star., 1941-10-20
Ry ALLEN HADEN.
Correspondent of The Star and Chica
Daily News

ing of the United States for an ag-
gressive diplomatic policy, weaving
a sanitary Gordon around Argen-
tina which possibly includes mill
tary alliance with Bolivia, Paraguay
and Chile to choke off war-preach-
ing Argentine Nationalists in case
these should seize power.
Encirclement of possibly Ma
tionalist Argentina stems basically
from non-action by Washington
Brazil feels that Washington's pol
icy toward Argentina is one of ap-
| peasement as much as Washington
policy toward Rio de Janeiro is ap-
peasement. Brazil figures that po-
litical difficulties in Argentina have
robbed Argentina of a government
and that what government there Is
favors the Nationalists IT, despite
! Nationalist threat to peace in the
Americas, Washington continues its
appeasement with no frowns on
the Nationalists in Argentina, then
Brazil must act on its own.
Rumors About Pact Persist?
Brazil's aggressive spreading OF
its influence proceeds apace and
rumors of the military alliance are
insistent in Rio. 1t is supposed to
have been agreed to between DR..
Getulio Vargas, President of Brazil
and the leaders of Bolivia and Para
| quay on the Brazilian's airplane
swing to those two countries late
in July of this year. The pact
| If pact there isis supposedly
again extensive to Chile and Os-
waldo Aranha, Brazilian Foreign
Minister. will carry it with him on
his official visit to Chile next month,
it is said.
Brazil refuses to extend the WASH
ineton-Rio axis to Buenos Aires.
The question was put point-blank
to Brazil's soft-spoken Dictator,
Getulio Vargas. by Fernando Ortiz
Echague, able Washington corre-
Spondent of La Nacion of Buenos
Aires.
Does the Washington-Rio axis ex-
tend farther southp
President Vargas replied that all
American countries are equal in the
American family Of nations. This
tongue -in-cheek reply was accepted
by Brazilian and Argentine observers
as a pointed refusal TO smooth the
way for Argentina with the United
States If Argentina wanted TO join
the American axis, let Argentina
mend her ways.
Ortiz Echague understood, for he
filed a dispatch from Rio de Janeiro
warning that unanimous Pan-Amer-
lean opinion considers Argentina low
man on totem pole In other
relied on to block Pan-American
agreements.
Argentina Muffed Chance.
Bolivia and Paraguay have now
been enfolded in Brazlls ample af-
fectlonS. Because of Bolivia s partial
dependence and Paraguavs COM
plete dependence on the River Plate
estuary controlled by Argentina,
tlltoS lNo ldlINllOShCd SOuIlll lCS ild z
been longtime swains of Argentina
Their counting has netted them
little. The last outstanding oppor-
tunitv Argentina muffed to hog tie
Bolivia and Paraguay to its political
chariot came at the Montevideo re-
gional conference of River Plate
countries in February, 1941. Bolivia
and Paraguay got nothing at that
conference but promises.
In desperation, the former enc
mics in the Chaco war have turned
to Brazil. DR.. Vargas met Bolivia s
Foreign Minister at Corumba. Re-
suit: Activation of the railroad now
abuilding from Corumba to Santa
Cruz de la Sierra, thereby tapping
fruit. cattle and vegetable raising
region at the eastern foot of the
Andes almost impossible Of access
from La Paz. Maybe there's oil in
Santa Cruz, too.
The Vargas visit to Asuncion was
even more fruitful for Paraguay.
DR.. Vargas opened a branch of the
Banco do Brasil there. assured
Paraguay a free port zone at San
tos and promised to push the con-
struction of the projected railroa d
from Conception Paraguay to
Porto Esperanca CBraziD, where
Paraguay's traffic links UP with
Brazil's internal railroad system.
Concessions Of No Cash Value.
None OF these concessions to Par
aguay are of any real hard-casfl
value. but their prestige is great.
In response to Paraguayan PRAYERS.
the Argentine Banco. de la Nacion
has delayed opening its branch in
Asuncion. Requests for reduction
of the fantastic freight rates main
tanned by the Mihanovitch Steam
ship Line. which monopolizes river
traff1c between Buenos Aires and
Asuncion, have been ignored. Par
aguay has been asking for a free
port somewhere, anywhere. in Ar
gentina and has been refused. Ar
gentina even blocked Uruguay
conceding Paraguay a free port at
Colonia.
Brazilian-Paraguayan cooling was
very noticeable during the Septem-
Der 7 Independence Day celebra-
tions in Rio de Janeiro. Argentina
was represented by its war min
lister. Gen. Juan Tonazzi. and Gen.
Pierrestegui. chief of staff. Para
quay, having no generals handy
sent Col. Andres Aguilera, head OF
the military training school. The
Brazilian press government con-
trolled) turned on its brightest
| lights for the Paraguayans who
stayed on after the celebrations
and were entertained far and wide
Since chen Brazil has regally enter
tanned the publisher of Ell TEMPO
Paraguay's semi-official spokesman
And Paraguay has been invited to
send delegate to Brazil's Censor
ship and Propaganda Bureau.
Lovefest Just Beginning.
The Bolivian-Brazilian lovefest is
just beginning. Respective diplo-
matte missions have been raised
to embassy rank and former Foreign
Minister Ostria Gutierrez, con-
sidered the leader Of the pro-Bra
| zilian prollp in Bolivia iS nom