Evening star., 1941-09-25
Crisis in Arqentinu

w
current arrests and troop move
mentS in Argentina reflect less a
specifically Nazi plot than another
phase in the chronic crisis which for
more than a year has disturbed
| Argentine political life. In order to
| understand this crisis, a brief review
! Of Argentine politics will be useful.
Argentina is still agitated by the
political groundswell left by the rev.
olutionary storm of 1880, precipitated
| by the country'S economic collapse
during the world depression. A brief
period of military dictatorship was
followed by the presidency of Gen
eral Agustin P. Justo, a conservative
administration. The conservative
party, known as National Democrats
and representing the great land
owners, big business and kindred
elements, has never polled a majority
of the popular vote. Before the rev.
olution the Radical party had been
in power. However, it's relatively
conservative right wing split off
under the party label of Anti
Personalists and joined the con-
ServativeS to form a coalition goy-
ernment.
In Argentina the President serves
six years and cannot Immediately
nrl III 81 Il
Justo'S term ran out in 1887 he could
not again be candidate until 1943.
However, he picked the ticket, which
was elected. Roberto Ortiz, an Anti
PerSOnalist, became President, and
Ramon Castillo, Conservative, Vice
President. Ortiz soon showed his
liberal tendencies by conducting a
vigorous political housekeeping,
especially in election frauds. This
aroused growing opposition among
Old-line politicians, especially among
his conservative colleagues.
The congressional elections of 1899
resulted in marked gains for the
Radical party, which favored elec-
ton reform and thus tended to align
it with the President. Another bond
of sympathy was their common atti-
tude toward the European war,
which had just broken out. Both the
Radicals and the President were
anti-AxiS, while the conservatives
were for strict neutrality.
Unfortunately, President Ortiz'S
health rapidly failed, and in the
summer of 1941 he was obliged to
hand over his executive duties to
Vice President Castillo, who became
thereby acting President. Castillo
adopted a strongly conservative atti-
tude in both domestic and foreign
policies, to the obvious displeasure of
Ortiz and the strong opposition of
the Radicals, who made further
gains in the congressional elections
of 1941, so that they controlled the
lower house, known as the Chamber
of Deputies. The rift became wider
over the issue of gross election
frauds, and last January the Radical
dominated chamber went on a leg
islatiye strike, refusing to pass any
measures until Castillo consented to
a genuine investigation. The acting
President countered by threatening
to govern by decree unless the cham
ber called off its strike, which was
leading toward political paralysis. A
compromise was finally arrived at,
but the quarrel was not settled.
1t is against the background of
this domestic political feud that the
current crisis over Nazi activities
should be placed The investigation
conducted by the Taborda Commit
tee and its support by the Chamber
of Deputies reflect in part legislative
opposition to an administration
charged with undue complacency
toward the Axis powers. And, con-
verSely, the seemingly stubborn 'iso-
lationiSm" of acting President Cas-
tillo and his supporters may be
eaScribed in part to suspicion of par
tiSan tactics by his congressional
opponents. The danger is that this
domestic feud may blind both sides
to the national interest which trans
cendS all party considerations.