Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-11

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Paz Of La Prensas lis now to stand
trial as a common criminal.
Naturally, in order to preserve
such political system, there must
be ways of controlling all public
information and prohibiting the
free expression Of opinion. Since
Argentina had long been the home
of some Of the most powerful
newspapers on the South Ameri-
can continent, it was necessary to
utilize devious methods of getting
rid Of them. Any direct move or
pre-emptory action might set of
considerable opposition and breed
resistance among groups not yet
disciplined sufficiently to accept
the governments edicts without
question.
First, radio broadcasting was
put under official control. Next.
his wife and other officials and
friends went about buying up
newspapers and magazines. Sew
eral outstanding publications were
rot for sale. La Prensa was one.
This great newspaper had for
more than half century been
the most powerful organ Of opin-
ion In the country. It was also
tremendously wealthy.
Gradual Suppression
But since the government con-
trolled all commerce, exports and
imports, it became easy to issue
DEGREES or pass laws restricting
the importation and distribution
of newsprint. Because Of its
financial independence, La Prensa
had not only bought up but placed
large quantities in storage, in an
ticipation Of just such an even
tuality. The government then
appropriated all newsprint within
the country, including La Prensa's
private stocks. It later reduced
the number of pages of newspa-
pers. thereby cutting off revenue.
But regardless of all this. La
Prensa's circulation grew. More
and more people read it. They
turned to it as an organ Of re-
sistance to the creeping despotism
which had been imposed upon
them. This ever-increasing circu-
lation determined the Perons to
take the final. drastic action to
suppress it: this, Is spite OF re-
peated denials to foreign visitors
of any plans to do so and verbal
assurances to our officials and
diplomats that they would not.
If left alone, such a leader OF
public opinion might become q
most embarrassing influence
against their wish for self
perpetuation. Finally the govern
ment-controlled News Vendors
Association refused to distribute
the paper unless the company
would divide its earnings with
that organization.
End of Free Press
This brought all La Prensa en-
representations, reporters, print
ers, composers, typesetters-to the
defense of the publication. When
they attempted to enter and re-
open the plant. they were met by
organized thugs and strong armed
political mobs. The result was the
murder of one of La Prensa's en-
ployes and the wounding Of sew
eral more, which provided the
police with the long-looked-for
excuse to step in and take over.
Thus far, they have refused to
permit a resumption of the pa
per's publication.
At any rate, there can now be
no effective open opposition to
the perpetuation of the present
regime. Whatever freedom Of the
press was left in Argentina. and
no impartial person could discern
more than a grim flicker In the
last few months, has been snuffed
out. At time when the United
States and other Latin American
nations are bravely and deSper-
ately battling Communist forces
that would deny freedom to men
in other parts of the world. Ar
gentina, once considered the most
enlightened country on the South
American continent, slips behind
the dark curtain of totalitarian
dictatorship.