Evening star., 1942-01-04
By E. NJ. CASTRO,
Wide World News,

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. s.
Plans and principles laid down in
peacetime for the defense of the
Americas come under the test Of
war when the Third Consultative
Conference Of Foreign Ministers
opens here January Is. see
Out of the meetings, requested by
Washington after Japan, Germany
and Italy went to war with the
United States, should come con-
crete measures to strengthen the
military and economic defense of
the New World nations.
With tall. craving Brazilian For
eign Minister Oswaldo de Freitas
Vale Aranha presiding. the parley
is scheduled to open in the Palacio
Tiradentes, which once housed the
now-eXVnct Chamber of Deputies.
In committee rooms, in hotel
rooms, in coffee houses, the foreign
ministers and their representatives
will seek to work out revised COM
mon program for meeting the
danger which, since they last ga
thered at Havana in the hot sum-
mer of 1910, has become a reality
From the time when President
Roosevelt gave the Good Neighbol
American Peace Conference in Bue'
nos Aires in 1886, down through tht
Lima, Panama and Havana meet
ings of 1888. 1899 and 1910, the 81
nations have been drawing closer
together.
Struggle to Defeat Axis.
What was once an effort to keep
the war away from the Americas
has become q struggle to defeat the
Axis powers. although some of the
South American nations have not
admitted it officially.
This conference finds the United
States at war with Germany, Italy,
Japan and their satellites. At war
with the Axis nations also are all
the Central American and Carib-
bean republics.
From all other countries in the
21-nation pan-American bloc have
come expressions ranging from mill
tary collabora ton down to prom
ises to abide by previous commit
ments.
Argentina, as often in the past,
has shown some reluctance to de-
clare frank support of a belligerent
United States, although she has said
she will live up to her undertakings
Diplomats here say generally they
believe that, with q near-solid bloc
clamoring for Western Hemisphere
unity, Argentine Foreign Minister
Enrique Ruiz Guinazu will string
along.
Another delicate point is the
Peru-Ecuador boundary question
which only recently flared again into
armed conflict. Ecuador. smaller
and feeling herself in a weaker mill
tary position, wants the conference
to settle it. Peru has been less in
clined to bring it out at such parleys
Undoubtedly the dispute will be
raised, but what the conference may
do about it remains unclear.
What Is clear, however, Is that the
American nations face q common
menace from the World War II which
already has involved many Of them
May Create Hemisphere Staff.
Informed persons here are talking
of the possibility that the foreign
ministers may create a sort oi
western Hemisphere general stan
of military and naval men.
There Is some opinion that many
or all of those not at war may enter
the conflict after the conference
or will cooperate as an advisory ane
consultative body in co-ordinatine
the operations Of the individua
states.
Such an organization, 1t Is felt
would try to work out a system o.
protection against attacks from
abroad, not only against North ane
South American shores but alst
against North and South American
shipping.
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