Evening star., 1942-05-23

States by way of David Lawrence.
Argentina, Chile and Brazil.
1t is possible for Axis agents to sit
IN their Offices in Rio de Janeiro,
Buenos Aires and Santiago, listen to
all the commentators and broad
casters in the United States, make a
day-by-day analysis of American
news, and telegraph it instantly to
Japan, 1toly and Germany.
No censors interfere with the dis
patch Of telegraph and telephone
messages from these South Ameri-
can countries. The United States
Government has no authority over
what is not done to supervise COM
municatons in the South American
countries.
The governments of Brazil, Ar
gentina and Chile, of course, eStab-
lish censorship supervision of their
own to delete military Information,
but, since they are technically at
peace with the Axis powers such
step is not in accordance with
custom.
Causes Worry in U. S.
The problem has been causing a
good deal of worry here. United
States newspapers and radio sta
tions necessarily will find themselves
more and more restricted as to what
they can publish because of the ex-
tstence of such major leak to the
enemy. The United States press has
always been on the friendliest terms
with Argentina, Brazil and Chile,
and while there is no disposition to
ask these countries to enter a state
OF war with Germany and Japan, as
this Is wholly an internal matter, it
Is felt that some supervision might
well be imposed on the communica-
tions with Berlin, Rome and Toxic
from South America to safeguard
the interest of the United States.
A strict censorship has been set
up on messages going out from this
country, yet it is quite possible that
otherwise innocent looking tele-
grams might contain clues to the
departures Of American vessels from
our ports. Axis agents in Latin
America doubtless have a network
not only to gather information from
the two continents, but a system
Of direct communication with Axis
submarines. Thus short rt-Wave radio
apparatus throughout South Amer
lea can contact German and Italian
submarines, giving them informa-
ton relayed from secret agents in
the United States.
1t Is most regrettable that at
time when the United States is CIV
Ing so much of its life blood to the
protection of democracy and free
dom that Argentina, Brazil and
Chile should permit communica-
ton directly from those countries
to Berlin and Toxic as well as
Rome.
Given Official Attention.
The situation is believed to have
engaged the attention of high Of
f1cials here, but 1t is not known
what steps have been taken, If any,
to persuade the South American
governments that a continuance of
the leak cannot but be harmful to
the people Of the United States.
The communication system from
the three principal South American
countries lines up about as follows:
Buenos Aires: Telephone direct to
Berlin. Rome and Madrid; telegraph
direct to Berlin, Rome, Toxic, Berne
and Stockholm.
Rio de Janeiro: Telephone to Ber-
lin, Rome. Lisbon and Madrid; tele-
graph to Berlin, Rome, Toxic, Lis
bon, Madrid and Berne
Santiago, Chile: Telegraph to
Berlin and Toxic.
The problem is understood to
have been recognized as perplexing
ever since the United States entered
the war last December, but no So
luton appears to have been found.
Meanwhile, the existence of the
leak emphasizes the Importance of
guarding carefully every bit of in
formation that nigh possibly be ex-
ported from the United States by
mail, by radio broadcasters and by
the transmission of telegraph or
telephone messages from individu-
ais and business firms inside the
United States which may be in
nocently the carriers of vital in
formation sought by enemy agents.
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