Evening star., 1941-07-27

AS German hordes press deeper and
deeper into Soviet Russia, American Of
ficials are becoming more and more
alarmed at increasing Nazi activities in
Latin America.
One high-ranking official who has
unusual sources of information describes
the Central and South American situa
tion as full of dynamite and liable to
explode any minute"
In both the military and political
sense, wars are no longer fought on
single front or at separate times. The
Nazis have developed overlapping cam
paigns of war and "softening" for war, so
as soon as one operation is completed
they can move almost Immediately into
other spheres, confident the way has
been prepared in detail.
The clash Between Ecuador and Peru.
according to official reports, was no mere
happenstance; Nazi agents had hand
in rekindling traditional feuds. The Bo-
livian expulsion of the German Minister
may have stopped Nazi "putsch' before
1t developed much headWay. The out
break against Col Batista, the Cuban
dictator, was playing into German
hands. German propaganda is active
against an overall agreement between
this country and Mexico, Costa Rica will
bear close watching, ana the negotiations
between this country and Panama for
defense sites outside the Canal Zone seem
to be extraordinarily prolonged.
United States Busy Also.
This country, on the other hand. has
also been more active. For many months
export and import control was tight
ened, eliminating in the "blackliSting'
of l 300 Latin American firms; Col. Will
liam J. Donovan was appointed CO.
ordinator of international information,
and the State Department and Nelson A.
Rockefellers Division of Cultural Rela-
tons with the Americas have intensified
their efforts. Flying fields as strategic
points" have been improved with Amer
ican funds The Panama Canal is
'closed for repairs" Mexico, Brazil,
Uruguay and even Argentina have been
brought into closer collaboration with
this Government.
official would dare to announce for pub
lication our Latin American policy. it
can be stated almost incontestably to be:
Maintain the status quo, keep IN office
the present regimes.
There are sound reasons for this real
istic policy If Hitler attains his objec-
tives in Soviet Russia, with good pros
Tro
into the German 'lebensraum, the next
step according to our best-informed
officials, will be the offer of a ''gener-
Gus peace giving Hitler all OF Europe
and permitting British retention of the
feet and empire-for the time being.
If discord can be spread in Latin
America and if the United States can be
discredited there on the basis of Yam
kee imperialism the gesture. our Off
cials believe, would be extremely effec-
tive.
Minority Seen Hostile.
The situation is admittedly delicate.
The good neighbor' policy has made
friends. and some officials believe that
between 30 and 80 per cent of the Latin
Americans support the United States
and Great Britain against Nazi Ger
many.
The minority. however, is highly
placed, commercially. politically and So
cially, and is extremely active. The
Germans have vastly greater funds for
propaganda and espionage. In addition
to the large numbers of German and
italian immigrants and their descend
ants. there are the aristocratic land
owners and induStrialists who fear what
democracy" would do for the poems and
Indians. Many top-ranking army Off
GERS weIe trained in Germany and are
openly pro-Nazi. The political parties
out of Office are usually willing to accept
aid wherever they can get it-from the
Germans if necessary.
The NaZis specialize in direct. per-
sonal pressures, while the United States,
from the nature of things, has had to
rely on propaganda broadsides, such as
radio broadcasts. officials visits. news