Evening star., 1941-05-08
Latin Americans Hear
!HulIWarn Of Common
Danger 10 Countries
Wallace Also Speaks
To Naval Chiefs of
Stuff of II Nations

Stotf OF IL Nations
: All the Americas have a COM
mon objective in resisting a common
danger" Secretary of State Hull to-
, day told a group Of naval chiefs OF
stan from all Latin American
countries.
The visiting naval officers who
arrived in Washington yesterday for
a hve-day inspection tour of naval
establishments in this area, were
welcomed by Secretary Hull with a
brief address when they paid him
courtesy call at the State Depart
ment.
Recalling that for many years he
has emphasized that any threat to
the safety of any one of the 81
American republics was threat to
the safety of all of them" Mr.. Hull
said:
For some years that was mini
n1ized by many statesmen and even
Army and Navy men. but new de-
velopmentS of an unprecedented
nature which signifed worldwide
movement of conquest, have brought
sharply to each the actual threat
of danger not only to one but to all
Of the American republics.
Greeted by Wallace.
Vice President Wallace, speaking
In Spanish, greeted the officers on
the east lawn of the Capitol Park
He told the officers he had observed
that the culture of the Southern
American republics like the culture
Of North America made reference
to the fundamental postulate of the
dignity of the human being and the
role he must take in a civilized
regime;
Mr.. Wallace said that the rights
Of man served as a "bulwark" for
defense against "perhdious ,dicta-
torial Nazi-ism."
The Latin American officers, who
also were received by Undersecretary
of State Welles during their visit to
the State Department, generally
agreed in interviews following their
arrival in Washington that this
country's hemisphere defense ef-
forts are drawing all the American
nations closer together. Several told
of plans to expand their fleets with
United States cooperation.
Comdr. Ramon Diaz Benza, direc-
tor general of the Paraguayan navy,
said his nation expected to build
10 to IS light WarShips and 25
merchantmen with United States
help. He said materials would be
purchased in this country and the
ships built in Paraguay when money
Is made available. The Paraguayan
navy at present has six gunboats
and. according to Comdr. Benza,
these will be placed on the neutral
ity patrol If needed. .
Argentine May Double Its Navy.
Vice Admiral Jose Guisasola at
q press conference yesterday in the
Shoreham Hotel said Argentina
hopes to double the size of its navy
at a cost of 5000 100000. The appro-
priation bill, he said. is pending be-
fore the Argentina Chamber. The
country now has two battleships, one
light cruiser, two heavy cruisers, 16
destroyers, submarines and
torpedo boats. ~
Rear Admiral Gustavo A. Schrod-
er, inspector general of the Uruguay
an Navy, said his country is also
planning a fleet expansion. He said
his country was particularly inter-
ested in building destroyers and
minesweepers. Uruguay at present
has one cruiser on neutrality patrol
work. The ship, he said, is operating
independently and is maintaining q
patrol along the Uruguayan coast.
The Latin American representa-
tives were met at Washington Air
port by Admiral Harold R. Stark,
chief of Naval Operations; Navy
bureau chiefs and attaches of the
various countries represented. The
group arrived in two chartered
planes at pm. yesterday, two hours
ahead of schedule.
During the two-hour interim the
visitors were taken to Mount Ver-
non and returned to the airport in
time for the official reception at 3
pm. Two companies of Marines
formed guard of honor and the
Navy Band played.
Others included in the party are
Capt. Julio Diez Arguelles y Fer
nandez Castro, chief of staff of the
Cuban Navy; the Brazilian naval
chief of staff, Vice Admiral Jose
Machado de Castro 9 Silva; Rear
Admiral; Carlos Rotalde G. del ",
chief of. staff of the Peruvian Navy;
Vice Admiral Julio Allard P, COM
n1ander in chief and director general
Of the Chilean Navy; Commodore
David Coello Ochoa, director general
Of the Mexican fleet; Comdr. An
tonic Picard, director of the Vene-
zuelan Navy, and Comdr. Cesar A..
Mogollon Cardenas, oommandant
a