BRITISH DIPLOMACY IN ARGENTINA

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 46, 18 November 1919, Page 9

BRITISH DIPLOMACY IN ARGENTINA

DIFFICULT TASK IN WAR-TIME TRIBUTE TO THE AMBASSADOR _jr Sir Reginald Tower, the British -Minister in Argentina, who left Buenca ,A:res for London on. fui'.ough on Aiigue: li). was -the recipient of many marks of eeteein from his fellow-countrymen and also from tho lending members of Argentine society dur.ng the last fortnight of his stay (writes tho "Morning Post's" ! Kouth American correspondent). Evoryone felt it incumbent upon them to give outward expression to the appreciation and respect which they felt towards tho departing Minister, not merely on account'of his position and personal geniality, but also because they realised that ho had conducted his country's affairs with remarkable tact and success through a long and very detirato period of history. Aroanlina was neutral when the war began, and she maintained her neutrality to tho close. The forces that were responsible, for this attitude have been I nihtded to on several occasions. And, however much one may write of the universality of a pro-Ally feeling throughout the Republic, the fact-rnnains that these forces have been sufficiently powerful +o override popular opinion and ma'ntain an official attitude that has prevented . even the semblance. <>f a Ijrwicli with -the ■Centra , Empires. Further,, thero have been time.s when Argentina appeared to bs willing to take the toid as the instigator of a lca.ar.o of Ronth American neutrals, and :t is reasonably certain that pourparlers in this.sen?e wore undertaken with both M?x : co and C!;ilp, pace official d»niar«. Tlip Clericals, supnortpd and iMseihly pi.iipd on l»v the innuentia! Gprmano-Arijpntinp fnmil"'cs so intimately eonnefpd by marrioge and otherwise with official Hrclps sin"p rhe eonii'n.i Into powftr of President Trijevon and lim party, cxpre'sed n pressure, that wa« all the creater wi"™ to the fncl- that if- wm .ilrnost wholly li'ulprn'roun'l and largely dependent upon indnp.ncp to* , itq ann'icafio'i. fomp dav Ih? ?eer n t; hiftorv nf South Ampr : e.i" neutrality will brv v.-ritl-en. ..itid will lw mnpv«iiir--Tirigpo for fhose v'>n have or'v i'idffPfl Hie .Af-nnf-'ni. pe=i'ion superficially aa presented in tli n .'•ffipi-'i f!p"'impnts and the comments cf the daily Prcs.'. Ability and niscr?t : on. Throughout this welter of intrigue tho action of the British Miiriistor, by comnioii Ciinseiit' the first •' representativo of Allied interests in the Argentine Ucpnlxic, has been chiiractorisrd by uniisiinl ability ami almust superhuman discret'on. Time and agnin he has had t 0 fi tnnd tho brunt of unfavourable and ol'lcn nolsj - criticism on the part of his own countrymencriticism that sprang from patriotic motives, no doubt, but ttmt was far from being Tempered with judgment p.nd a grasp.of tho situation as u whole. Inutancps innumerable might bo cited, notably the agitation over the spizitrn of the President Mitre, the HamburgAmeriltn. steamer plyinjf lo ports on tlio Argentina south const, or the reception accorded to the Uunseti Jlissioii bv Argentine officialdom, the cereals <igroempnt, the question of the statutory lists, and many other Ihorny mutters that called for deliente lianoMing, such a* was finite lipvond the junview of the man in the slrect. Add lo this the natural instinct of the German for spreading schism and inlrii'ue, the specious rumours, liaxol in many cases mi the fact that Sir Ufyinnld " Tower knew Germany and its inhnljitants far tco well for their liking, the attemnts —rfl-ide over and over again—ln set the various Allied Lps;at : ons bv the cars, and something of the ta.sk will be realised. Devotion to British Community. A slight man. with a physique far from robust, the British Minister from the qu'.si't of the war. in addition to his multifiirimiH confidential duties, never neglected an opportunity of hcarlciiinc the community as ;> whole. From end (o end of the Kepublie, lie visited tho various scattered' groups of British residents, v.'ns present at practically every centre of patriotic effort, small as well as (rrcat. and cvvnfc'.'lipn looked blackest—as hanpeii"d whpii the falso German news came through of the result of the Jutland .fiTht-stppdip'Ml"' ranks, end inctnphorielyiiv. if net Htnrnllv, en!!ed all linmb tn "bile on Hip bullet" ,iti(l feu it through. No pettiiws?, no diplorjntic ceremony or excessive etinuptte serve:! to hed,? ,, him off from his i'ellow-cou'MrymMi. He was always accessible, .ihvnys clipprfiil. a!i<l a'wnvs ready to accept unci tift olfers of conwratio'i, even wlipii they came from Khe. me c t 'iiiexypffed "tmrters. Towiirds h" Arp-nlipn •?.iitl , .orir"-"fi It" ever Tiiain- | fnini'd I'm' difniiy and of Hip P'.'ilvh K'i'niri , . l'rrcii:e:<!lv ii!>rl|>r (-i-viiif.-eirfnmslaiicps from r. r"is"iii>l pript nf vir-y. ■ \ IriK- ji-o-'-'-'n^iil. holdirrr liim-=-lf' n« Piiii-rht if ■(!>« 'nter-sts of limd colli 1 Its fi?i"" r 'l tl'P'vbv. he l.'-'iye? hU n<)--!t for a vcll-r.'irnc'l r<">-h pirryiii" with hii>' I , " , 'i—p a , ! , ! fli''ii>raiion "f the wl>"le Ilrilii'h cer.:niuiiily in Ihe liiver Plate.