Evening star., 1941-07-22
Small Group Bars
Active Argentine
Support for u. 5.
Clique of Offieeholders
Joins With Wealthy in
Fighting Co-operot;on
BY ALIEN HADFN,
Foreign Correspondent OF The Star and
Chicsso Daily News.

Foreign Correspondent of The Star and
Chicaso Daily News.
BUENOS AIRES, July u CBy
Clipper A small clique composed
of government officeholders and the
upper crust of Argentine society
and wealth. which controls the
Comtry's economy, today is pre-
venting the mass of Argentine
opinion from carrying the country
into open and active support OF the
United States.
The connection between these
groups-politicians and elite-ls
their anxiety to preserve the Sc
Curity of their political and economic
control over Argentina. Thus they
work hand in glove, supporting each
other in a policy which has an anti
foreign flavor. but is probably
meant to shake off the British
shackles on ArgentinaS foreign
trade and Conjure the specter of the
United States looming to the north.
Nationalist propaganda, abetted
by the NaziS, has dinned into the
heads of Argentines that the coun-
try has been exploited by British
and Yankee imperialism. The COM
muter buying a railroad ticket is
told that part of his peso goes as
dividend to shareholders in Eng
land. The telephone user is re-
minded percentage of his monthly
bill goes to stockholders in the fan
tastic empire" of Col. Sosthenes
Behns International Telephone &
Telegraph Co.
Wealthy Criticize Britain.
This propaganda has whelped a
curious anomaly. Argentlna's
wealthy classes are wealthy because
of British purchases of meat and
wheat. On a four-year average
prior to the war, 83 per cent of total
meat exports and % per cent of
total grain exports went to Great
Britain. Despite this fact the large
agriculturalists and cattle breeders
the estanCieros-are among the
most persistent critics of Great
Britain and extollerS of Nazi victory.
To them "totalitarian" means con
tinued control"
The pocketbookS Of these men will
not be affected. no matter which
side wins the war. Germany's CEN
tralized purchasing for the CONT
nent on a barter basis may we'll be
hurtful to Argentina in general
since the terms will be German
dictated without consulting Argen-
tine interests. But the estanCieros
will not suffer since the government
must pay them for their products
in pesos and absorb any losses which
may occur in the deals.
Shipping at the edges are some II
ultranationalist groups supporting
the governments strict neutrality
policy as the nearest thing to out
right opposition to Great Britain
and the United States. Composed
of Young men who cannot even get
on the lowest rung of the ladder,
these groups simply expect Quis-
ling-like, to inherit the government
if and when the Nazis lick the
British.
Officeholders' Position.
The position of government Office
holders is well illustrated by the re-
ported remark of Robustiano Patron
Costa, Conservative President of
the Senate and next in line to Act
ing President Ramon S. Castillo:
4 am not NaZi. but I am neces-
sarily pro-Nazi, since If the British
win the war our party inevitably
goes out of Office"
The fundamental feature of Ar
centina's government Dr. Roberto
power through fraudulent elections,
in which the Radical party, repre-
senting 80 per cent of popular
votes, was eliminated from Office.
Having never depended on popular
approval, it blandly disregards to-
day the mass of popular opinion as
represented by vocal democratic
groups and the press.
Thus small clique in Office is
holding back Argentina from sup
porting the United States, since to
do so is to adopt the program of
the opposition The strict neutral
ity policy justifies itself econom-
ically since it has the support of
Argentina's 800 families" which
in the final analysis are the gov
eminent.
(coryright, 1e41, CHICAGO Daily News, Inc)