Evening star., 1945-09-29
U.S.. Warned Of Aiding
Argentine Foscists
Unilateral Intrusion Policy Is
Perilous, Writer Contends
By David Laurence

kerllOuS, Writer Contends
By David Laurence
The Argentine problem presents OPP
portunities for hazardous adventures in
diplomacy and the new crisis can easily
be turned to the advantage of the Fascist
elements in Buenos Aires If the Ameri-
can Government adopts a unilateral poll
icy of intrusion.
The one thing that will strengthen
the totalitarian regime which is in pow.
er at present in Argentina would be a
misguided effort on the part of the
State Department to try to tell the
Argentine people what to do or how
to choose another administration.
The United States has withdrawn its
Ambassador from Buenos Aires. This
Is critical time for the Washington
Government to be without a full-fiedged
representative there, but somebody in
the administration here was apparently
more interested In personnel changes
at home than in the effect the with
on the whole situation. This is one Of
the penalties of the political party sys-
tenn when applied to the State Depart-
ment.
Spruille Braden, who comes here to
become Assistant Secretary of State.
was an important factor in the Argen-
tine situation, but he can do very little
from Washington compared to the ex.
ercise of American influence on the spot.
| NnA ef
once is vital to the preservation Of
American influence, and while it was
first announced officially that there
would be a hiatus, this was reversed
and promise made that the post would
not go untitled for long.
Principle at Stake.
Meanwhile the United States and the
other pan-American countries which
acted together to extend recognition
to the present regime may wish to re-
view their action. The mere possibility
that such step might be taken will
tend to focus attention inside Argen.
tina on the acts of the present adninis-
tration there
The basic principle which Is at stake
at present is whether the pan-American
countries should refuse to do business
with an administration In Buenos Aires
that declines to permit the exercise Of
the freedoms and liberties generally as
sociated with the democratic process.
1t would be quite a change for some
of the pan-American countries to de-
eide that the form of government or
the attitude of national government
with respect to the liberties afforded its
citizens is matter of international
concern, but such trend is undoubtedly
coming.
But for the United States alone to
undertake to say what the form OF
government should be would be a mis-
take. Whatever is done in the pan.
American family has to be done in con.
cert by all the powers or by substan.
tial majority of them.
The whole controversy introduces sig.
niflcant precedents because, in the case
of the Spanish government, the Big
Three at Potsdam expressed publicly its
disapproval of the Franco regime. This
is one way to notify the people OF an
other country that they might as well
get rid of their existing rulers and
choose others. 1t has not been sug.
gested, however, that this be done by
violence and it Is assumed that in some
way the electoral process will be uti-
lized or some other peaceful means Of
changing administrations adopted.
Pro-AIy Through War.
The Argentine people have been pro-
Ally all through the war. Undoubt.
edly pro-Axis elements have had an op-
portunity to stir up feeling against the
United States. Also the present Peron
administration has the support of the
Axis nationals and business interests
which fear that a change of government
will be to their financial or material
DISADVANTAGE
The United States has from time to
time shown its disapproval of changes
IN Latin-American governments that
were accomplished by revolution or vio-
lence. Hence revolution cannot be off,
cially encouraged. The Pan-American
countries, including the United States
must, therefore, be patient and depend
on the Argentine people to deal with
their own government in their own way
even II this takes months or years
There Is no Justification for economic
sanctions or any other form OF coercion
by the United States alone If the
hemisphere countries as a group want
to intervene, that is something else
again. 1t remains to be seen whether
the Latin-American governments will
want to establish a precedent in fore.
ing change of government inside q
neighboring country.
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