Detroit evening times., 1945-05-04
BEHIND
THE NEWS
By Paul
Maflon

u lNdl SNOiillo S"NPN up VII Ohbh
the press against the American
delegation and the whole world
conference following the deci-
sion 10 admit Argentina. You
might call il a static tempest or
a terrific rise of hot air tension,
which was strangely enough.
largely confined 10 segment Of
the press and radio corps.
Through the lobbies and
stree you could hear the
plants of those who acted and
talked as if il was faSciStic for
the conference 10 railroad
through such a decision.
MesSrs. StettiniuS. Vandenberg,
Connally and Rockefeller were
subjected 10 hot questioning at
a press conference as if I h @ v
themselves were Fascist. II even
reached expression on the radio,
although the press / read (the
papers available hereD was
equally excited.
FRANKLY the uprising
L seemed a little synthetic TO
me. Molotov on the floor made
what was reasonable presen-
tatlon of his standpoint, but I
noticed he closed his speec
with the statement that his pro-
test was the only one which
would be made by the Russian
delegation. In short he showed
no signs of being particularly
outraged. But on the air later
j heard less reasoned objections,
by commentators actually con-
tending the decision was "the
cheapest city politics" "a seri-
Gus mistake" and "a step toward
fasCiSm." "
The inside reasons for the
decision were not given. The
Stettinius speech from the floor
was a brief, justification to the
effect that the decision had
been reached by the steering
committee (meaning the whole
conference. in effect. as the
chairman of every nations dele
cation is on that committee)
that the Latin American ma
tionS recommend IT, and that
the American delegation was
for it unanimously it later de-
VelopedD.
Practically the whole world
was for il because Molotov got
only seven votes on his PROPOSE
tion TO delay the decision a few
days and four votes against
when taken (although Britain
and China abStained).
THE tricks of the business
l. were naturally not men,
toned, but 1t is quite plain 10
me what happened, namely:
Molotov wanted to delay this
decision in order TO bring his
storm up in advance of the
voting. If he could have let
the reaction that subsequently
developed, sweep the city and
the delegations for a few days
he might have created sufficient
pressure to change the decision
which incidentally is the only
one he had lost at the confer
ence up 10 that time.
Actually he had nothing TO
cry seriously about because in
the same decision to admit Ar
gentina. he also gained votes for
White Russia and the Ukraine
ton very fiimsy grounds of
justification) yet strangely
enough what he won in the deal
was never mentioned by the
complainants. That part of the
matter was barely mentioned on
the floor and not at all in the
press conference. In short what
he lost was played to high
heaven 10 make the decision ap-
pear more one-sided than il ac-
tually was.
Now the honest truth of the
matter is that this promise to
Argentina was made by us of
ficially weeks back TO get her
into our Latin American Setup.
The decision was in accord with
the agreements we made at
Chapultepec to the Latin coun-
tries who wanted TO bring
Argentina in there.
The matter was so cut and
dried the Argentine delegation
was down at Los Angeles, hav-
ing made the long trip from
home, TO await there the de-
ciSion they knew must come if
we were TO keep our word.
NATURALLY Molotov did not
~ like this. The best argu-
ment he could make against it
was TO complain about the ma
ture of the Argentine govern
ment-in the past. That subject
has been widely discussed. and
frankly / have never read any
analyses of il which were favor
able 10 its Fascist nature.
But part of the agreement
We made at Chapultepec was
that Argentina would change.
even create a free press. The
fact that we eXacted these
promises is proof enough that
there is no Fascist implication
in the decision at all-rather
the contrary.
The plain and simple acts
show the American delegation
and the conference was fully
justified from any standpoint
you could possibly name.
Indeed. | think most Ameri-
cans would be pleased If Russia
x.Fa,.lI A..