Evening star., 1944-07-06
Letters to The Star
"New Deal" Latin American
Policy Sharply Criticized

In view OF tne 1eCC LnAC there are uns
mistakable signs that the New Deal u
prepared to jettison its Atlantic Charter
and the Four Freedoms, 1t is not strange
that 1t occupies itself interfering with
the internal affairs Of Argentina. OF
course, the reason given Is that Argen-
tina is nest" OF Axis agents, ETC. Just
what valuable information, except ship
movements and cargo statistics, can be
gathered for Axis use from the Argen-
tine, 1t Is difncult to understand Fur
thermore, there Is very little doubt that
there are Axis agents in Chile. Uruguay
and Brazil who probably are working
with less inconvenience in transmitting
information than those In Argentina.
This does not reflect upon those coun-
tries; 1t Is simply that conditions make
1t probable. On the other hand the New
Deal never makes any protest concern
ing the excellent stan OF military in
telligence ofiicers that Japan maintains
in Moscow and the facilities they have
to carry out Investigations concerning
the design, quality and quantity OF mill
tary material sent from this country to
Russia.
Russia is not at war with Japan. 1t
Is throwing bricks at the Nazis; 1t has
defended its soil but 1t Is not looking
Tor extra trouble. Likewise Argen-
tina sees no logical reason why 1t should
engage in war simply to obey the dicta-
ton Of someone in Washington. Ar
pAntipa Ia M y,oApd;copt and ha. hod
an outstanding record for financial in
tegrity. Its social and political ways are
not our ways but that is Argentina's
business, not ours. The New Deal, not
satisfied with assuming dictatorial at
titude within It's own domain, tries to
instruct, dominate or patronize, rs the
case may be, the South American ma
tions. 1t propagandizes that Argentina
is military dictatorship" but the real
reason for its antipathy Is pure and
simple pique. It busies itself in sup
porting one regime, it denounces an
other.
1t supported one OF the worst die
tators Bolivia ever had and refused to
recognize the government that the Bo-
livians wanted. Practically, Brazil is
almost an absolute dictatorship. When
Getulio Vargas overthrew the constitu-
tional government, in October, 1890, his
only legality" was popular approval.
He carried on a provisional government
for three years. In July, 1884, Brazil
adopted a new constitution, but In 1898,
President Vargas tore it up and sub
stituted one of his own He closed the
federal congress and state legislatures
and suspended elections indefinitely.
With the exception OF those of Sac Paulo
and Minas Gerais the heads Of the states
are "interventors' appointed by the
Chief Executive. He governs by decree.
II this is not "dicta torship." then what
Is? But no matter what we call 1t,
1t Is none Of our business On the whole,
1t has benefited Brazil and the country
has made excellent progress under Sen.
hor Vargas. For many years great many
thinking people among the Brazilians
wished just the sort Of government they
now have. But because this form Of
government works in Brazil does not
mean that 1t would work here. The
psychology OF the Brazilians is differ
ent, there is more spontaneous self
government; government of each indi-
viduh by his own moral code and less
inclination to burden himself with
purely political matters than there is
among us. There Is more personal So
cial democracy than here Even among
government employees there is no desire
to take sides. Regimes may come and
60, but they mind their own business
and attend to their duties. The laws
concerning government service remain
the same no matter who is in power.
That Is not the case here, certainly
not under the New Deal The present
interference Of the New Deal foreign
policy Is not going to tend to solidify
the good neighbor policy" for the
present attempts to blackjack Argen-
tina into jumping through the Washing
ton rtngmaster's hoop are sure to be
remembered all over South America
after the war. Even now, the Bra
lillian in the street knows that the
good neighbor policy" is nothing orig
inal and that Elihu Root visited Brazil
and advocated it and that Lloyd Girls
com could make creditable speeches in
good Portuguese. Every Brazilian knows
that Thomas Jefferson and Jose Boni-
facio de Andrade were close personal
friends in Paris and viewed many mat
tiers In the same light. We wonder
how many people in the New Deal ever
heard Of Jose Bonifacio and his work.
G. J. SEIBERT.
Appreciation of T,ihrarv Article