ATTITUDE TO AXIS

Southland Times, Issue 24649, 22 January 1942, Page 5

ATTITUDE TO AXIS

SEVERANCE OF RELATIONS

ARGENTINA OPPOSED (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 20. The Buenos Aires correspondent of the Associated Press reports that the acting President, Dr Ramon S. Castillo, told the Press that, “right or wrong Argentina will not break off relations with Germany, Japan and Italy.” He added: “Argentina has not veered from her- position of neutrality toward all warring nations. Argentina’s position is open, frank and loyal, and represents, right or wrong, the opinion of the country. Our position has been misinterpreted to the point where they say that Argentina is not going to collaborate in the Foreign Ministers’ conference. But Argentina, which defends the thesis that it believes in the best for America will collaborate.”

By this he apparently meant collaboration on all hemisphere matters, excluding a unanimous break with the Axis.

The Rio de Janeiro correspondent of The New York Times says that the resolution for the severance of relations with the Axis will be approved this week regardless of whether Argentina and Chile join with the rest of the hemisphere in this issue. It is reported from Tokyo that the Japanese Government has issued a statement warning the South American countries against breaking off relations with Japan “in blind accession to the demand of the United States.”