Evening star., 1945-06-05
Critics Seen in Error
On Argentine Issue
Conference Admittance Forced
by Latins' Stand, Says Writer
BY David Laurence

~ y DNbbN
Now that Argentinas government has
kicked over the traces and increased
rather than diminished It's fascistic rules
about suppressing civil liberties, there is
mistaken tendency to criticize the
United States delegation for sponsoring
the admission of Argentina to the San
Francisco Conference.
There are, curiously enough, persons
otherwise well informed who think the
United States had freedom of choice
in the matter and could actually have
opposed Argentina's admission. Strictly
speaking, the United States had the
right to oppose the step, but, If 1t had
done SO, 1t would have destroyed pan
American solidarity and wrecked the
San Francisco Conference. Was the
Argentine issue worth such catastro-
phe?
The nations south of the Rio Grande
had banded together on a question of
principle They asked: Should any ma
ton be barred because some other coun-
try disliked its form of government
This could mean, the Latin Americans
said, that Russia could ban any gov
eminent unless it was communistic.
High Pitch of Emotion.
The Latin American delegates reached
such high pitch of emotion over the
affair as to serve notice that unless
the moral commitment they gave at
Mexico City to allow Argentina to adj
here to the Act of Chapultepec was
fulfilled they would have no further
faith in any agreements made at San
Francisco.
The United States delegation didn't
like Argentina's Fascist gcsernment
any more than did the Russians, but
when the issue arose all members of
the American delegation decided the
tactful thing to do was to go along
with the demand of the Latin American
states. This was not just the decision
of some officials in the State Depart
ment, but the decision of all. persons
in our delegation, as well as President
| Truman
| Now that Argentina's government is
guilty of misbehavior there is little the
United States can do, but there is much
| the Latin American states can do. Un-
less Argentina modifies her course they
can agree to consult one another and
| withdraw recognition from the existing
| government at Buenos Aires. This
| should be done at once, because obvious
| ly the administration in power there
| has completely abused the friendship
and trust of the other pan-American
! states.
But there Is a curious irony In any
such move. Russia, which through For
| eign Commissar Molotov opposed Ar
! gentina's admission, is herself a fragrant
| offender not only in refusing freedom Of
! the press internally but in refusing per-
mission to foreign correspondents to
visit areas under her control. The
British and American governments have
been carrying on long correspondence
with Moscow about this latter point, and
every now and then a concession is made,
but would Russia agree that any nation
or group of nations has the right to
judge whether her form of government
is acceptable to the outside world?
Stand Taken by Latins.
The Latin American governments. in
| deed insisted that the principle of nom
! interference in internal affairs must be
| maintained. That was why they debated
| so vehemently against the Molotov argu-
ment. They declared that no group Of
| nations can pass judgment on internal
| questions of sovereign states. This Is
| an unfortunate position for them to
tol.o L,,t 60 S- = ;+
One of the trends of the hour is the
| tendency to appraise the San Francisco
! Conference as discouraging because 1t
! does not do what the American people
want it to do. Some observers appar-
t emily do not realize that what is being
held is a conference of sovereign nations
. and that neither world government
nor superstate has been erected. Thus
the taking of a vote to decide questions
does not mean that they have been de-
cided when a majority is SO recorded.
Each country reserves for itself the later
right of veto. 1t may disapprove the
United Nations charter when the time
for final ratification comes. Or 1t may
approve with reservations. Each parlia.
ilIclAC VI SOilS4CSS "l4l dCNANS 4SI 4GSCI
whether to join. Hence any theory tha
the United States can control what the
4s other governments may do about il
is illusory.
The truth is that the charter beine
written at San Francisco will represent
the maximum that all sovereign nations
acting individually, are willing to accept
and this may be the minimum on which
agreement is found feasible This is not
necessarily disappointing result. For
moral force, plus proper military pre-
paredness can prevent future wars The
first is unrestricted by the new charter
and permits the mobilization of world
opinion against would-be aggressor
The second deals with the right and
duty of self-defense. The United States,
as member of a loosely organized
league. may do more for world peace
than rigidly written League Covenant
from which Americas active participa-
ton has been omitted.
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