Evening star., 1951-04-01
BY Donald Gront

copyright, 1851. by tn
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Mar
81 tBy Radiol From his exile In
Uruguay. Alberto Gainza Paz. edi-
ltor of the I great Buenos Aires
newspaper. La Prensa, has de-
lscribed to this writer in cold, OBJ
Elective terms, the events which
led to the closing of La Prensa
last January 26. At the same time,
Mr.. Gainza Paz proclaimed in
ringing terms his confidence in
the people of Argentina, who have
supported La Prensa through
seven narrowing years, and his
conviction that La Prensa is not
dead.
Mr.. Gainza Paz believes La
Prensa will resume its task of full
filling the platform laid down
81 years ago when the newspaper
was founded by his grandfather
Truth. honesty-that is our point
of departure"
This is not an easy moment for
optimism. When Mr.. Gainza Paz
left Buenos Aires last week he not
only faced imprisonment and pos
|sible torture and death. but his
newspaper - presses. offices and
buildings-had been seized by the
henchmen of Argentina's totali-
tartan dictator, Juan Domingo
Peron.
Meanwhile the American for
eign policy continues to support
Mr.. Peron. That support is finan-
|cial. The day before La Prensa
was closed the Peron government
obtained control of a large part of
the 125,000,000 pesos American
Export Import Bank loan.
Admit Policy Is Cynical
American diplomatic spokesmen
justify the policy in the name OF
|expediency and fear, declaring
that Mr.. Peron. at least, is anti
Communist"
This assumption will be examined
in this article. First, however. the
strangulation of La Prensa needs
to be described. for in these days
when the lights of freedom burn
low, the extinguishing of truly
great and free newspaper cannot
go unnoticed by people anywhere
who love liberty.
"It is impossible" said Mr..
Gainza Paz ito describe in every
detail the difficulties that were put
in our path. In general, how
ever, I may say that gradually,
and by stages, our paper supply
was limited or cut off. our adyer-
tising was cut down, our subscrip-
tion list was reduced and our pay
roll arbitrarily increased. There
were many other attacks, but
these were perhaps the main
ones"
Harassed Seven Years
Despite these actions. the Peron
government found it necessary to
use armed force-ordinary gang
Isters and thugs-to accomplish its
aim of quieting the voice of La
Prensa, for through the seven
years of harassment La Prensa in
Creased in circulation whenever
paper supply permitted. its ad-
Ivertisers remained loyal and its
employees risked their lives and
their liberties to stand by the
newspaper in which they still be-
Ilieve as in their religion.
"This is why I believe in the
future of La Prensa," said Gainza
Paz. "That future rests on the
people - our employees and our
readers"
The advertisers of La Prensa.
| it should be noted, were not, for
the most part. the big corpora
tions. For the greater part of its
revenue. La Prensa, depended up
on classified advertising, which it
carried both on its front page-as
does the Times of London-and on
succeeding pages at the fore part
lof the newspaper Classified ad-
vertisers were little people of Ar
gentina. When La Prensa, during
the course of its battle for free
dom, was forced to more than
double classified advertising rates
to meet the great cost increases
arbitrarily imposed by the gov
eminent, the continued use of its
columns constituted free vote OF
the people, a vote for La Prensa
No Single Complaint
"I do not recall a single COM
plant from an advertiser about
the very great rate increases we
were forced to put in effect" said
Mr.. Gainza Paz. "They under
stood"
Mr.. Gainza Paz talked to this
writer at the estancia, or country
home, where he is the guest of a
branch of his family. on the sea-
shore near Colonia, Uruguay. Mr.
Gainza Paz is handsome, his fea-
lures confident and reposed, even
now. Although his dark eyes may
burn, he has not lost the ability
to enjoy the beauties of nature
which surround him at Barrade
San Juan. as the estancia is
named. He is trim and athletic, So
years old, and at the estancia he
wears sports clothes as he works