FOREIGN POLICY OF, ARGENTINA

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 217, 9 June 1943, Page 5

FOREIGN POLICY OF, ARGENTINA

Observance Of Pacts

NEUTRALITY IN WAR REAFFIRMED

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received June 8, 10.30 p.m.)

NEW YORK, June 8.

The new President of Argentina, General Ramirez, has issued a decree, stating: “Argentina affirms her traditional policy of friendship and loyal co-operation with the other American nations in accordance with the existing pacts, and neutrality towards the rest of the world. The Government further believes it necessary to express adherence to the principle of absolute autonomy of the States to rule themselves, for which reason it will not tolerate foreign interference, because Argentinians maintain, and will, continue to maintain through any vicissitudes, the Republican form of Government in conformance with their Constitution.”

A United Press correspondent at Montevideo says that, even before the decree was issued authoritative sources warned that though General Ramirez was believed to-be more sympathetic to the Allies than General Rawson, he was an Argentine Nationalist and no major change in the Argentine foreign policy was within immediate sight. “The international situation was the fundamental cause of the military uprising, which was indispensable to rectify the isolationist position in which we so unjustly find ourselves,” said General Rawson in an interview with an Associated Press correspondent. General Rawson also tacitly acknowledged that an unfavourable reaction among Liberal partisans of the revolution toward some of his proposed Cabinet Ministers who were known for Rightist sympathies may have been a factor in the latest crisis. He said, “I resigned because I think that to govern one must have absolute freedom of action. I therefore considered it necessary to terminate my mission once the triumph of the armed forces -was assured.”

MILITARY CABINET IN ARGENTINA

LONDON, June 7. • It is reported from Buenos Aires that the new Argentine Government under General Ramirez as President was sworn in today. The only civilian member is the Finance. Minister. Another message says that in the new Government all posts are filled by army and navy oflicers, including as VicePresident Admiral Saba Sueyo, as Foreign Minister Rear-Admiral Storni, War Minister General Farrell, and Navy Minister Rear-Admiral Sueyro. The Buenos Aires correspondent of the United Press of America says the new Cabinet is believed to be much more favourably disposed toward the democracies than General Rawson’s Government was. „ . . Reuter says that unofficial reports reaching London suggest that General Rawson’s resignation arose from a split in the new Government over the question of whether Argentina should break with the Axis. The Associated Press of America said earlier that General Ramirez was generally regarded as having even more pronounced Rightist tendencies than GeneralRawson, but the change was full of significance and the effect on Argentina’s foreign policy was not yet clear. General Rawson had suppressed the Communist newspaper “La Hora,” which published a plea for the restoration of constitutional rights and for diplomatic relations between Argentina and Russia, and a pledge that Argentina would join the United Nations.

POLITICAL CRISIS IN CHILE

Full Cabinet Resigns

LONDON, June 7. A message from Santiago says that the Chilean Cabinet has tendered its resignation to the President. This action followed the resignation of the Minister of the Interior, who explained in a letter to the President that he had taken this step because of the persistent hostility of right-wing political groups.

This is the second mass Cabinet resignation in Chile in the last eight months. After the election of President Rios in February, 1942, Chile gradually 'abandoned its non-belligerent policy with a series of measures and events which culminated in January last in a complete breaking off of relations with Germany, Italy and Japan, leaving Argentina the only American Republic out of line. This, however, followed. a sharp diplomatic brush with the United States. On the eve of an intended visit to Washington by President Rios, Mr. Sumner Welles, the United States Under-Secrc-tary of State, criticized both Argentina and Chile for tolerating withili their frontiers Axis spies, one of whose duties it had been to supply hostile submarines with news about the movements of shipping. Up to that time in 1942 as many as 72 ships flying Latin-American flags had been sunk, and Mr. Welles said that the information which led to some at least of these sinkings came from Argentina and Chile. His accusation was bluntly worded, and it was followed by diplomatic protests to Washington and an announcement that President Rios had decided to postpone his visit. There were some wide antiAxis demonstrations in Chile, and the Cabinet resigned following upon charges that the Foreign Minister, Senor Barrios, was pro-Axis. A new Cabinet was formed. A London “Times” editorial on November G commented: “What is described in a Santiago message as a ‘vast spy network’ has been discovered there; and the mild penalty of expulsion from Chile has been pronounced against a dozen Axis personages, all save one of them German.”