Evening star., 1945-11-24
u. 5. Studies Uruguay
Proposal 10 Clarity
Policy on Intervention
BY GARNETT D. HORNER.


A Uruguayan proposal, apparently
aimed at joint inter-American inter-
vention in Argentina, was being
studied closely today by top officials
here and in other American repub-
lies.
The proposal calls for collective
action to end the conflict between
nonintervention, long a key Pan
American policy, and democratic
and anti-Fascist principles pro-
claimed by the Americas.
1t was put forward in a note by
Uruguayan Foreign Minister Alberto
Rodriguez Larreta, which declared
that "nonintervention cannot be
converted into right to invoke one
principle in order to be able to vio-
late all other principles with inn
munity."
Note Presented Thursday.
The text of the note, which was
handed to United States Ambassador
William Dawson and other American
ENJOYS in Montevideo Thursday
night, was made available by the
State Department here last night.
While withholding immediate
comment on this Governments re-
action, State Department officials
emphasized that the Uruguayan note
is "a very important contribution
to inter American relations" point
ing out that it deals with a subject
which we must now face"
The proposal is expected to be
welcomed warmly here as providing
possible solution to the vexing
question of what to do about Argen-
tina, whose militarist government
has been branded as Fascist and
violator of its inter- American COM
mitments.
Reluctant to Intervene.
While realizing that Intervention
Is the most effective way of dealing
with the problem, officials here have
considered such action diplomati-
|cally unthinkable because of the
fears it would stir in other Ameri-
can Republics that it might set a
precedent for interference in their
domestic affairs, as we'll as in view
Of non-intervention pledges in num-
erous Pan American pacts.
The collective approach suggested
by the Uruguayan Foreign Minister
may serve to remove the sting"
from intervention. He proposed that
the Americas work out a collective
pronouncement on the subject,
which might be done through a
special conference, regular diplo-
matte channels or at the conference
now scheduled to be held in Rio de
Janiero next spring.
His note made no specific men,
tion of Argentina, but said it sprang
from notorious events"
Proposed collective Intervention in
the affairs of one American country
by its neighbors would be limited to
mere re-establishment of essential
rights and fulfllment of freely con-
tracted international obligations.
No Shield for Violations.
The Uruguyan note asserted that
the nonintervention principle should
AlOV c1l4CAA WAGllOuI l1llltdllO1l LlIc
notorious and repeated violation by
any republic of the elementary
rights of man and of the citizens"
nor excuse any American nation
from obligations freely contracted"
with respect to ats external and
internal duties"
1t added that joint Intervention
exercised unselishly by all other
American republics could not be
construed as injuring the govern
ment against which it was directed.
On the other hand, it said, such
action must be recognized as being
taken for the benefit of all, includ-
ing the country which has been suf-
fering under such a harsh regime"
A passive" attitude by the Amer
icas in the face of violation of Pam
American democratic and co-opera-
tive principles in one of them would
result, the note declared, in making
"our continent a refuge for evil doc
trines, practices and interests and
into a field favorable for their re-
birth"