Evening star., 1944-02-27
New Foreign Minister
And Navy Secreta Try
Named in Argentina
~ the Associated Press,

~ the Associated Press.
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Feb.
26-Amid indications of consider
able tension in Buenos Aires, the
government headed by Gen. Edel-
miro j. Farrell announced tonight
the appointment of Gen. Diego
Luis Mason as acting foreign min
lister and Gen. Juan Pistarini as
acting navy minister.
The appointment of Gen. Pistarini
marked the first time in Argentine
history that an army man has taken
over the naval portfolio which al
ways has been in the hards of q
naval officer. 1t also was confirma-
ton that Admiral Benito Sueyro
had resigned that post when Presi.
dent Pedro Ramirez delegated
presidential power" to Vice Presi-
dent Farrell Friday.
Gn Washington information
was received that Gen. Ramirez
had resigned under compulsion.
This opened up the question Of
United States recognition OF the
Buenos Aires regime.
Rumors have been circulating
that Gen. Ramirez refused to sign
the document by which he dele
gated authority to Gen. Farrell.
Both Gen. Mason and Gen. Pis-
tarini now are charged with two
ministries. Gen. Mason already holds
the agriculture portfolio and Gen
Pistarini is public works minister.
Further Shifts Expected.
The appointment of Gen. Mason
TO the foreign ministry filled a va
cancy created by the elimination of
Gen. Alberto Gilbert last week in a
palace putsch which also resulted in
the dropping of Presidential Secre-
tary Enrique Gonzalez.
The general impression of the
situation brought here by informed
travellers is that the reshaping of
the cabinet still is not concluded.
From an analysis of often confused
reports received in Montevideo the
impression grows that the moving
force behind Gen. Farrells assump-
ton OF executive power as well as
the previous cabinet crisis is the
younger officer group in the army.
Their visible leaders are said to
be Col. Filomeno Velazco, who dis
placed Col. Emilio Ramirez as the
capital police chief just before Gen.
Ramirez decided he needed a rest"
and 1t. Col. Julio Lagos, an aviation
officer who took charge of the post
office and communications.
Were sPro-Axis.
These younger officers were hostile
to Argentina's rupture of relations
with the Axis. They were antag-
onistic to Gilbert and Gonzalez be-
cause those two men sponsored the
rupture.
The younger officers also were
alarmed by last Wednesdays re-
ports that Gen. Ramirez was plan
ming to bring Gen. Gilbert and
Gonzalez back into the government
and possibly adopt a more liberal
program.
In anticipation of such a program
Gen. Ramirez was said to have
ordered the arrest of a considerable
number of NationaliSts, including
Manuel Fresco, former governor of
Buenos Aires Province.
One of the first acts of the new
police chief was to release last night
a group Of 80 Nationalists who had
been detained in the capital and
Buenos Aires Province. Today re-
ports reached Montevideo that
Fresco had possibly been appointed
federal commissioner of Buenos
Aires Province.
Other reports from the Argentine
capital related that there we're many
runors of military movements cir
culating early today.
Travellers Searched.
All persons entering the capital
from adjoining Buenos Aires Prov
ince this morning were searched by
soldiers, who seized any weapons
they discovered. This precaution-
airy measure was suspended about
10 am.
One informant reported that Gen.
Ramirez, learning of the attitude of
the younger officers last week, sent
Col. Juan Peron, leader of the So
called "colonels' clique to Army
headquarters at Campo de Mayo to
investigate the situation.
Col. Peron was said to have re-
turned with the information that the
younger army elements were uncom-
promisingly opposed to Gen. Gilbert
and Gonzalez and that they were
prepared to take definite action un-
less both were removed from the
government.
Gen Ramirez was said to have
been ready to resign in the belief
that his successors would be un-
able to obtain the recognition OF
either the Argentine Supreme Court
r foreign governments.
1t also was rumored without con-
frmation that Gen. Ramirez at
tempted unsuccessfully to escape
from the presidential villa early to-
day, with the object of taking refuge
In foreign embassy.