Evening star., 1946-06-30

American policies there is strong pos
sibility that our relations with the re-
publics south of the Rio Grande may
become even worse than they were in
the pre-good- -neighbor era.
When President Roosevelt decided to
back by every means short OF war" the
European democracies which were
fighting the Nazis, the South American
situation came prominently into the
picture. The American Government put
a watchful eye on German, italian and
japanese Vaccinations in the principal
Latin American republics.
The Axis propagandists described this
country as imperialistic and aggressive.
Axis factories attempted to undersell the
United States in Latin markets by Offer
ing products far below American prices.
While quality was not up to American
standards, the difference in price was
such that it tempted the Latin American
consumer.
But far more important than this
economic war was the penetration by
Axis agents into the life of our Latin
neighbors. There were reports-some-
times confrmed-that Germany and
Italy were preparing naval and air bases
in remote sections of those republics
with the assistance of corrupt or ideo-
logically sympathetic local officials.
Hitler Spent Lavishly.
Mr. Roosevelt and his top military and
diplomatic advisers soon became con-
vinced that after Hitler had liquidated
the European democracies he intended
to turn his attention to the Western
Hemisphere. His agents spent money
lavishly on propaganda and other meth
ods to increase the Axis prestige and
power. And while there was little af-
finity between most Latin American re-
publics and the Germans, there was
good deal of feeling for the Italians.
Our past mistakes and clumsy dealings
with the supersensitive Latins were ex-
plotted to the utmost. There was, in
fact, more real danger for the United
States in the operations of official and
unofficial Axis missionaries in South
America than there was likelihood that
the Germans would threaten this coun-
try with direct military action across the
Atlantic after Europe was conquered.
Thus, one of the reasons for the ad-
ministration ranging this country
against the Axis was the realization that
unless Hitler and his allies were de-
feated, our predicament would become
serious, indeed.
German, Italy and Japan now have
been utterly defeated. The military
might Of the Reich has been crushed
and is not likely to become menace to
the world again unless those who play
power politics decide to use the German
people as tools and cannon fodder.
Yet, some high officials Of the State
Department, and particularly those in
charge of Latin American affairs, are
conducting the policy of this country as
if Hitler were still alive and a power in
the world, and Germany continued to be
the foremost military threat.
Byrnes Is Preoccupied..
Secretary of State Byrnes is SO busy
with the enormous problem of attempt
ing to bring about some sort of peace,
to end officially the war which ceased
last August. that he has little time to
pay attention to Latin American prob
lens.
Although this government has poured
billions of dollars into almost every cor
least. has done everything to eliminate
suspicious of Yankee imperialism" 1t
cannot be said that it has succeeded in
winning the genuine confidence of Latin
America.
At the Chapultepec Conference in the
spring of 1945, the United States
achieved probably it's most important
diplomatic success in Is years. The for
eign ministers of the American repub-
lies established realistic policy OF
hemisphere cooperation. AS a result
of that meeting the United States rep
resentatives at the United Nations Con-
ference in San Francisco fought against
the bitter opposition of Russian Foreign
Minister c. M. Molotov, to permit Ar
gentina to enter the world organization.
The battle was on. But soon afterward
the State Department returned to its
pre- Chapultepec theology and took up
bitter fight against the active and popu-
lar Argentine politico, Col. Juan Peron.
The accusation brought against him
was that he was a declared pro-Nazi.
This was unquestionably true some years
ago. But the State Department over
looked the fact that Peron was popular
with his own people. On the eve of the
presidential elections in Argentina the
State Department brought out its Blue
Book setting forth all the Grimes of
the popular candidate. While the accu-
sations brought against him may have
been correct, the American officials who
urged President Truman to permit the
issuance of that document failed In
psychology. The Blue Book was inter-
preted throughout South America as
another demonstration of the United
States desire to mix into the domestic
problems OF its neighbors to the South.
Repercussions Still Felt.
The repercussions of that publication
are being felt even today and strange
as 1t may seem our intervention" Is
more resented in the smaller republics
than in Argentina, Chile and Brazil.
The man who is regarded as respon-
sible for this policy is Assistant Secre-
tary of State Spruille Braden, who was
United States Ambassador at Buenos
Aires at the time when the American
Argentine relations became seriously
strained. According to reliable reports
from unbiased American observers,
many Latin American foreign ministers