The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-24
CHILEAN GROUPS. DIFFER AS TO. WAR ATTITUDE.
R1 LAWRRNCE s. HAAa


 Limited Press stan COrrespondentl
 New York, oct. 24--(Up)--The postponement of the ofticlal visit of PresiGent Juan Antonio Rios to the United States as Q result of the speech of Under Secretary of State 9umnr Welies has served to high- light Chile's internal political lineup with regard to the World War.
 Chile and Argentina are the only two American republics that have not followed the recommendations Of the Rio de Janeiro conference for q diplomatic break with the Axis. Welles, without mentioning the two countries by name, expressed hope that these two republics would not continue to permit the Axis emiss saries tO "gtab in the back" their sis. ter republics by sending out reports Of shipping movements that have fe- suited tn sinkings of American re- publice vessels, with Q loss of lives.
 Rios. who was prepared to leave Oct. l4 for Lima, Peru, on route to the United staetS and other Allleri- can countries, called of his trip inc definitely because the Wells spchtaf definitely because the Welles speech on Oct. 6 ''created on Iinfavorable atmosphere" for Chile in the United States.
 Rios is one of the leaders of the powerful Radical party, which has conSiStenely gone on ofacial record as a sympathizer with democracy's cause and with continental defense cooperation. The Radical, Socialist, Comnnunlst, Democratic and several smaller parties in Chile, were mem. befs of the former pfo-democratic Popular Front aS opposed to the fightist strong minority group heads ed by the Conservative and Liberal parties.
 Rios' Actlon Supported
 When Rios was inaugurated presi- dent on April 2oH this year he formed . coalition cabinet, giving two pests to Independent Liberals. one was the foreign minister, Ernesto BarroS Jarpa, who subsequently, has been under fire from time to time from parlianentarians of the leftist groups, which constituted some of Rios strongest support in the cleo. tions.
 Both the partisan ard the inde. pendent press and all political par- ties have given full support to Rios in his reaction to the Welles speech, but Socialist and Comlnunist news. papers, and some parties, including the RadicalS criticized Ernesto Bar ros Jarpa. and c number of them demnaded that he resign.
 Many political elements, to be found principally among the rightigt groups in Chile can be compared in q general way with the isolationist school in the United States before Dec. 2, 1o4i. It is not necessarily Q fact that they are pro-Axis but they abhoe the Idea of any steps by the government that would drag Chile into the war or place the country in a petition where her shipping would be attacked and sunk.
 The leaderg of these groups are wealthy landowners or their repre- sentativeS, bitter.end foes of com. munist and socialist ideooiogy and undoubtedly fearful Of the possible social and economic consequences that all-out Chilean participation in the world conflict might bring.
 Has Small Navy
 They, as well as other groups, feel that Chile iS ill-prepared to defend her 2;N00 miles of coastline with only ( small navy and air force and an army not equipped with the modern weapons of war.
 Furthermore, they are of the opiia- ion, or at least have set forth the inc siStence that Chile Is contributing to continental defense by placing her entire production of such strategic Inaterials aS nitrates, copper and iron ore at the disposal of the United StaetS and other members of the Unitde Nations.
 There is, nevertheless, in Chile, c strong current of opinion fayoring a break with the Axis, but 1t is dinicult to establish c majority of articulate opinion. Many influential political leaders and sections of the press have long clamcred for 6 break with the Axis.
 The issue presented by Welles in his speech was that of control of Axis agents in Chile. It is doubtful whether such control can be exer- cised effectively as long aS the Ger man, Italian and Japanese govern- ments maintain diplomatic and con- sular establishments in Chile. De- spite the best of will on the part oi the Chilean government, there Is e limit to the point in which 1t could intervene in the activities of the diplomatic representatives of foreign