ARGENTINE ARMY’S LOYALTY FUNCTION FOR GENERAL PERON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27028, 12 March 1949, Page 7

ARGENTINE ARMY’S LOYALTY FUNCTION FOR GENERAL PERON

BUENOS AIRES, Rec. 11 p.m. Mar. 10. President Peron, in a speech at an army base near Buenos Aires, said if Argentina does not pay for the 250.000,000 dollars worth of goods recently purchased from the United States, it was because “they do not buy from us.” General Peron rejected the idea of a dollar loan and said the present situation was the result of inflation affecting the whole world.

“We are supposed to be scared because we have no dollars 'and _to believe we will succumb if no assistance comes from abroad. It is not so. We will have to make sacrifices and we will make them.” General Peron said the time was past when Argentina’s economic life was “ruled by a finger moving 5000 miles away.” , The function was planned to show that there was no split between General Peron and the army as has been stated. General Peron praised the Argentine Army, saying: “ There may be bigger armies than this, but I do not know of a better one.” He was loudly applauded when he added: “If one day some Argentinian tries to endanger Argentina’s sovereignty and economic independence, I will put myself at your head if necessary to defeat him.” The National Defence Minister, General Jose Humberto Sosa Molina, in a speech, denied reports of an army break with General Peron or that the army was trying to compel General Peron to make his wife withdraw from public life. He said: “On the contrary, the army supports Senora Peron’s charity work and co-operates to make it a success.”