The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-07-29

to a recent study made by the Foreign Policy Asso- ciation.
 Since the war began, this balance | has shifted British holdings have been disposed of to an unknown but large degree to finance the war. American holdings have been in creased. But all these foreign hold ings, however distributed, have giv- en the Argentine nationalists a na- tural rallying ground to overcome the domination of foreign capital and build up an Argentina for the Argentines."
 After the military coup of year ago, the Argentine government acc tually put interventors, or super visors, in the offices of many of the leading foreign-owned corporations. There have been a few reports of actual appropriation. On July 27. lS43, supervision was assumed over several U. s. companies technically accused of violating price laws Ford, General Motors, Goodyear, tional Harvester. On Sept. 8, Dec. 10, and May l3, Argentine police Firestone, Michelin, and Interna- took control of subsidiaries of the American and Foreign Power Com- pany, operating street railways and public utilities.
 LANDOWNERS WANT STATUS QUO
 A second basis for development of nationalism in the Argentine lies in the desire of the old landowners. the native Argentinos who hold the big estates. to maintain their prop critics and prevent them being brok- en up into smaller farms. This con- servative desire of the rich to keep the old order is manifest in the de- crees of the present government banning labor union activity, ban- ming the Communist and all other political parties, abolishing the democratically elected Congress, banning all religious education other than that of the Catholic church. which is made compulsory in all primary and secondary schools.
 A third basis for Argentine na- tionalism, is the desire of the aEn- bilious patriots of the country to make the Argentine not only the strongest of the Latin American countries, but to group about her the neighboring countries of Bolivia, Chile, and Paraguay in a close cus- toms union which might also in- clude Brazil, Peru. and Uruguay.
 The strength of such Q union, if 1t could be effected, would be vast natural resources in copper and tin, drugs, livestock and grains. The economic weight which such union could swing in dealing with Europe and the United States Is by no means small. As Q postwar factor 1t might provide . principal problem and much of the danger in dealing with this peculiar. made-sn-the-Ar- genuine brand of natlonalism.
 IT'S NOT JUST 4 FLASH
 IN THE PAN
 The Argentine situation, in other words, Is no more upstart revolution of a bunch Of swaggeFing young military hotheads. but a really tough international political prob- lem. How much Of the present AF- genuine nationalism is Axis domln- ated or masteF-minded Is a question which no one can answer, But t does have all the tFappings Of the European variety Of dictatorship Congress disbanded. elections post. p0ned, local democratic government done away with for federal military government, freedom of speech and Of the press abolished,
 What the United states goyerpS mept faces Is iE0pieal-we have driven out the Aazl influence in Rll Of LatinvAmeFiea save the AFgeDr tina-0nly to find that we have to deal with . still more potent variety of new world Faselslp spFinglpg up ip the southern tip Of the Western Hemisphere and capable of growing