Evening star., 1947-06-06

~ ~ policy could best
be applied as
between Argen-
tina and the
David Lawrence. United Sta es.
But both were the victims also of
an ineptitude in the handling of
foreign policy which is costing
America not only prestige but time
and money in the stabilization of
hemisphere affairs.
When Mr.. Braden was Ambassa-
dor to Argentina, he took the view
that an American diplomatic repre-
sentative could speak freely to the
people Of that country, and he did
so at time when they were having
an election. The effect of his inter-
vention was to intensity national
pride, and Col Peron, the successful
candidate, had no trouble in whip
ping up national enthusiasm as
against foreign Intervention in the
internal affairs Of his country.
Fact Went Unrecognized.
Despite this reversal, American
foreign policy drifted along with
out recognition of the fundamental
fact that whatever is done in Latin
America must be done by collabora-
ton of all the inter- American
countries.
In the face of the mistakes made
by the United States in sanctioning
the activities of Ambassador Braden
In Argentina, the Truman admins
tration brought him to Washington
and made him Assistant Secretary
OF State. This was a handicap, be-
cause it was soon discovered that
the policy of the United States
would have to be changed If any
progress were to be made in ce-
menting the relations between the
United States and Argentina. Then,
for several months, Mr.. Braden was
apparently put aside while Ambas-
sador Messersmith, who has Just re-
signed, acting under different set
OF instructions, went to Buenos Aires
to bring the United States and Ar
Sentina closer together.
Ambassador Messersmith is a
trained career-diplomat and he is
one of the most experienced and
able representatives the United
States Government has ever had In
the foreign field. He set out to do
q particular job-to bring Argen-
tina and the United States together
He saw the practical and the real
,istic aspects of the situation and
recommended action to the State
Department in Washington. In a
short time, the department began
to back him up Fundamentally so
that, while Mr.. Braden by his con-
tinuance in office represented one
type of policy in Washington, Mr..
Messersmith represented quite an
other policy in Argentina.
1t is assumed, of course, that
somewhere in the top level of the
Truman administration a decision
was made to work for closer ac-
cord with Argentina and Mr.. Mes
sersmtth was selected as the instru-
ment Of that policy.
But all this shifting back and
forth would have been unnecessary
and valuable time would have been
saved If President Truman had
realized just what was involved in
the Latin-American problem at the
time that he let Nelson Rockefeller,
Assistant Secretary of State, resign.
Mr.. Rockefeller was as vehement
as anybody else in the American
Government against Fascist ten
dencies In Argentina. but he believed
that the way to progress was. to
bring about collaboration with other
Latin American countries and to
eYt quiet pressure upon the Ar
gernine government.
Policy Vindicated.
Mr.. Rockefeller was appointed to
his post by the late President
Roosevelt, who had the utmost con-
f1dence in the ability of the Assist
ant Secretary to carry out sound
development Of the good neighbor"
policy. Mr.. Rockefeller, as head of
the Committee on Inter- American
Development during the war, did a
remarkable job in winning the
friendship of the Latin American
countries to the war efforts of the
Allies. All of the splendid work he
did. however, was brushed aside
when, shortly after President Tru-
man took Office, the State Depart
ment listened to the needing"
arguments of left-wingers who in
sisted that the thing to do was to
Keep up constant furore with Ar
eentina and even to break off rela-
tons with that country. The effect
OF the left-wing tactics was to-
widen the breach with Argentina
The attack on Mr.. Rockefellers poll
cies was made Notwithstanding the
knowledge that Mr.. Roosevelt had
originally approved and sanctioned
the course which had been taken.
1t was in San Francisco that AS
sistant Secretary Rockefeller made
MS hight for the admission of Ar
eentina into the United Nations. He
was supported there by the entire
United States delegation. includ-
Ing Senator Vandenberg of Michi-
gan. The left-wingers, who thought
tnlS was a recognition of ''fascism"
or that in some way the United
states was deviating from its policy,
centered their attack on Mr.. Rookie
teller and tried to blame him for ii.
But the Assistant Secretary said
nothing in public about it and Just
Gid his job in accordance with the
outline given him by the late Presi-
Gent Roosevelt. The theory of MI.
Roosevelt was that 1t was better to
have Argentina as a member of the
United Nations. with the hope that
later on Fascistic influences could
be eradicated, than it was to make
permanent foe of the Argentine
people, who would resent such a dis
examination. This policy has now
been vindicated.