DON'T AID DICTATORS!
ALEXANDER, ROBERT J.
DON'T AID DICTATORS! By ROBERT J. ALEXANDER DURING Woild War II Wendell Wlllkle pointed out that the United States had a vast reser voir of support, adnuiatioii and respect »niung the common...
...But it is unlikely that Peron would cooperate frankly and openly with the U.S...
...militarily, unless he felt that it was to his interest to do so...
...It is no accident that the present jingoistic campaign mounted in intensity in the last months of a year in which several disastrous strikes threatened to loosen sizable elements from Peron's hitherto solid labor front, in which there appeared the fust eon crete evidence that the ui'iiiy was tiring nl the man they had made President...
...is about to take the lead in lifting the diplomatic "embargo" which the United Nations has levied on franco Spain...
...None of these justifications for Ihe reversal of our policy on Spain is valid...
...This muy be ti uo for a while, but if Peron is successful in ci eating a totalitarian Argentina which stands astride a humbled South America, American foreign investors will awake sadly to the discovery tiiat Argentine totalitarianism is no differint from any other brand in its ills legard for such insubstantial things a; little piece s of paper indicating owner ship of property...
...doesn't Ileal him as he wishes In be In ated...
...At the moment, he is engaged in doing both of these things...
...By ROBERT J. ALEXANDER DURING Woild War II Wendell Wlllkle pointed out that the United States had a vast reser voir of support, adnuiatioii and respect »niung the common people ol the'world, tut that this could he frittered away by ill advised actions on the part of the American people and their govern ment This is no less true today than il was halt a do/en years ago One of Amei lea's duel sources of strength is her position as the model towards which democratically-minded people throughout the win Id look for inspna turn and leadership...
...IF PERON were now to be presented with a favorable trade treaty by the U.S...
...He is intelligent enough to know that he would have little or no inlluence in a South America which ho hurl won for the Russians...
...own people ami those of wavering countries...
...Franco is the last remnant of that powerful coalition which ton years ago threatened to swamp Ihe world in a tide of fascist totalitarianism...
...The cases of Spain and Argentina are cut from the sum" cloth...
...is reportedly about to take two dangerous steps which will make a profound impression on the rest of the world...
...Accoiding to spokesmen of the American Government, the U.S...
...Robert J. Alexander hai frequently contributed to tlw \rw l.vnirr on Latin American subjects...
...THE ARGUMENTS that are made to try to explain the prospective U.S...
...4. That the United States needs to have diplomatic representatives in a capital as important as Madrid...
...the forces of democracy in Argentina would be greatly weakened...
...matter:, by trotting out the tiled and proven bogey ol Biaden oi Peron" which did So much to dec...
...and the negotiation nl a commercial treaty with him...
...by making it appear to stand on the side of the fascist menace we thought we bad killed and buried half a decade ago...
...Added evidence In support (he suggest ion that this i whal I'eion and In lollowei an- doinj', al Ihe pre en...
...foreign service who an- said to want a thorough reconciliation with I'eion...
...There an- also certain powerful elements in Ihe U.S...
...In this instance, il would serve absolutely no worthwhile end, and would merely decrease U.S...
...and their own fatherland were "sister republics...
...AS FOR THE ARGUMENT that lull diplomatic recognition will not imply approval, this is foolish...
...The democratic opponents of Peron would have no place to look for support - except perhaps Russia...
...businessmen who are very friendly to Peron and seek to aid him...
...In limes pas!, when he has tried to force the U.S...
...we do know that a couple of years ago there was a general strike throughout the Asturias find the Basque country, that the opposition is still alive and lighting...
...Peron piesident back in February, ItMli...
...time can hi adduced 11 i ii 11 the events all 11 Hindu);t he 11 .ml vi i! of II S A' I -tan...
...But even in this connection, there are reports coming out of Spam which indicate that the economic situation of the Franco regime is pre carious...
...Army is willing to offer would not bo necessary...
...Surrender to the demands of Franco and Pei on will represent acts of ap|>easemcnt which will only serve to strengthen two unstable dictatorships, and will irreparably harm the U.S.A...
...We would have pulled Peron's chestnuts out of the fire...
...or Ihe general economic situation, gets his regime into...
...One cannot lay down a line which says that in every case, recognition docs or dor nut in ply approval ol a r.overiunenl, It i cei lam that any law regime will seel, exchange ol diplomatic repre ntativa Willi tin- world's major powers, and use such recognition lo impress it...
...Apparently unimpressed by Peron's taking over the foreign-owned railroads, telephone* and other enterprises, these businessmen apparently feel that there is a great deal of money to be made under Peron's widely-touted industrialization program, and that they would like to get in on the kill...
...a decade ago, thai we have perhaps found the principles of that totalitarianism ai ceptablc...
...Appeasement in spite il it., bad name is not in and of itself had if il serves some useful purpose...
...Seen t.u \ nl Slaie Millei I * i Buenos Aires...
...a commercial treaty with Peron's Argentina There aie many in ¦dilations that such a move is now underway First iif all, Pet on has been carry mg on an unusually brazen campaign against the United Slates in general and against ex Ambassadoi Spruilh Biaden in particular...
...Keiielav Miller was greeted upon his ai i i\.il h\ a .- ei ies of dlatl dies and insults which Would have done ciedil to Ihe ( 11,,, | , o| ihe late I )i, Gocbbels Then- was nothing good about the United States, according to Ihe Peionista press However, whin the conferences between Secretary Miller and high Argentine ollicials, including President Peron, seemed to go well, the whole tone ol the Peionista press changed overnight and the Argentine President's followers suddenly discovered once ilium that the U.S...
...Should these elements gain their objective, and the U.S...
...Peron seems to be dying to turn his people's attention from more press ini...
...It is not likely that Peron who is, above all else, an astute politician - would align himself with the Soviet Union in the present world conflict, no matter how much he may threaten to do so...
...jnovi on Spain are...
...The US...
...aimed forces have always been advocates of friendship anil alliance with Peron Being uni oncei ned Willi public opinion and Ihe political aspects of the cold war, Ihcy have only seen that Peron has one of the strongest armies in the hemisphere, and they would like to have its active cooperation...
...The US...
...And every step by the United States which seems to indicate that democracy is losing ground in this country, or that we are not really loyal to the democratic ideals which we profess, weakens America and democracy in general in the struggle for the loyalty of the gnat masses who have not yet cast then lot with Us or Them...
...The growing economic crisis, which supporters and opponents of Peron both agree will be the only thing likely lo produce his downfall, would be arrested...
...Full leeognition mice again for Franco would cut the feet light out from under the anti totalitai lan elements in Spam As for the second argument of those favoring Ihe re-establishment of icla tions with Franco, it must be granted once again Ihe...
...THERE ARE ALSO important U.S...
...These American diplomats can still keep their government posted on trends in Spam and can represent this government when necessary- a fact, incidentally, which undi rlines the uionil condemnation implied in the original withdrawal of our Ambassador, and would likewise indicate Spain's restoration lo Unapproved list" of world powers...
...it is another lo get him out of every difficulty he...
...On Ihe oilier hand, it is cei tainly true that the U.S...
...Biaden is an old stalking horse foi General Peron, and is regularly hauled out to haunt the Argentine Common Man, Juan Pueblo, when Peron is seeking to arouse jingoistic support at home oi to hi mg pies sure on the United States or other American republics...
...2. That it is illogical to rel'u.'o to maintain an Ambassador in Madrid on the grounds that the Spanish Govern ¦ lent is dictatorial when we have i nvoys in Moscow, Warsaw, Belgrade .aid half a dozen oilier dietatoi domi nated capitals...
...he is no morse, if as had a dietatoi as some of those i-i Eastern Europe whom we recognize...
...I'eion has even gone so far as lo bin...
...It is one thing to maintain formally "friendly" relations with Peron...
...Thai full diplomatic recognition <ioes not imply endorsement of a given icgime, but merely implies recognition of the tactual existence of that govern j.lellt...
...If the prospect of immediate overthrow of Franco were 1hc only argument one could make for continuing the present state of things, a case might be made for raising the "embargo...
...Any impression which we may give of supporting or encouraging Franco will inevitably tend in make many "neutrals" feci that all the lluiii-, wliicil} the Russians say about us are true, thai we are now in alliance with that fascism which we lough...
...Yet Ibere are elements in this country which seek such an accord with the Aigentino i ulei...
...would have engaged in one more useless act of appeasement...
...However, that is not the whole story The fact is...
...sign a commercial treaty with Argentina granting l be I'ri ninsta administration the dollars it so badly needs, the U.S...
...prestige and intensify Ihe glowing feeling among Latin American democrats that Uncle Sam, who claims to be the leader of World democracy, is about to abandon them...
...It would damage the prestige of this country, uud, in u struggle which is moral as well as military and ecu limine, we would he lowering the lofty platfoini from which we now urge the peoples ol the world to follow us down the demoeiatic path EQUALLY FUTILE will be Ihe other contemplated twist of American foi cign policy...
...True, Franco is still in power after more than three years of being boycotted by the UN...
...Finally, as to the need for American diplomatic personnel in Spain, it should he remembered that there still is an embassy there, with a charge d'alVaires and other personnel...
...in that case, bnbery of the sort which the U.S...
...I That the moral embargo implied in the withdrawal of heads of diplomatic missions from Spain has not served to oust Francisco Franco, but j ather to strengthen him...
...On the othei hand, it is not al all unlikely that Peron is trying to intimi date the United Slates with his newest anti American line...
...that he will line up w 11 (i Russia ,1 Ihe US...
...Full leeognition of Franco at this tunc could serve no conceivable useful purpose...
...and in which, for the first tune, the hierarchy of the Argentine Catholic Church showed ¦ igns ol being dissatis tied with the man to whom it had hitherto given almost complete support...
...Franco is to most of the common people of the world the symbol of all thai is hateful in that fascist totalitarianism...
...and according to very reliable sources, the U.S...
...and i it hi i nations have diplomatic representatives in the capitals of a lot ol governments which they rlo not particularly like But, in the particular ease of Franco, it seems difficult to see how the return of UN ambassadors to Madrid could bo interpreted as anything else than a kind of approval, in view of the fact hat those ambassadors were withdrawn in the first place as a demonstration of disapproval...
...to take .nine action he desired, the I'eionlsta press has "spontaneously" and una nimoiislv turned its lull wrath against the United State...
...is about to tome to the aid of the hard pressed Peron regime in Argentina through ;i commercial treaty...
Vol. 33 • April 1950 • No. 17
