REPUBLICS ARE CRITICISED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22475, 9 January 1943, Page 3

REPUBLICS ARE CRITICISED

Failure To Break With Axis Mr Sumner Welles Speaks Out Diplomats met in Washington recently to study the outspoken criticism given by the Acting Secretary of State (Mr Sumner Welles) of Argentina and Chile as the only remaining nations of the Western Hemisphere which have not broken relations with the Axis, John L. Blackmore, jr.. writes in the “Christian Science Monitor.” Addressing the "World Trade Dinher” of the National Foreign Trade Council at its 29th annual convention in Boston, Mr Welles delivered the most far-reach-ing attack on the hesitation of the two southernmost American Republics yet to come from a high United States official. Mr Welles based his criticism on these grounds: 1. For refraining “from carrying out the unanimous recommendations of the Inter-American Conference of Rio de Janeiro, in which they themselves joined, that all of the Americas sever all relations with the Axis.” 2. For permitting agents of the Axis to remain in their territories, where such agents may “stab” brother and neighbour countries of the Western Hemisphere "in the back.” Ringing; Phrases These ringing phrases came from the Acting Secretary of State less than two weeks before President Rios of Chile is scheduled to visit Washington for conferences with President Roosevelt and other high Government officials, including Mr Welles. In anticipation of the visit and the possibility that Chile might shortly announce'a break with the Axis Powers, the United States State Department had been speaking softly, in public at least, of Chilean policy. Mr Welles's statement last night indicated a possible tightening of diplomatic pressure upon the two dissenters of the 21 American republics. Especially did it constitute a call upon them to carry out the "recommendations” of the Conference convened at Rio last January following the Axis declarations of war upon the United States “recommendations” which Argentine delegates had carefully worded at the time so as, in their view, to give them freedom to continue Axis relations or break them off, as they might choose. But Mr Wells indicated last nignt that he saw little choice left these countries, which he identified by a process of elimination, as he told nearly 1000 convention delegates and their guests: “We here in the United States can never fail to remember with profound gratitude and renewed encouragement that 11 of the other republics of the Americas are joined with us, side by side, in the war, and that seven other republics have severed all relations with the Axis and are rendering their neighbours who are at war every form of co-operation and assistance. Remaining Two “It is true that the remaining two republics of the 21 have still refrained from carrying out the unanimous recommendations of the Inter-American Conference of Rio de Janeiro, in which they themselves joined, that all of the Americas sever all relations with the Axis, and are still permitting their territory to be utilised by the officials and the subversive agents of the Axis as a base for hostile activities against their neighbours. “As a result of the reports on Allied ship movements sent by these aganis, Brazilian, Cuban, Mexican, Colombian. Dominican, Uruguayan, and United States ships have been sunk without warning while plying between the American republics, and as a result many nationals of these countries have lost their lives within the waters of the Western Hemisphere. “But I cannot believe that these two republics will continue long to permit their brothers and neighbours of the Americas, engaged as they are in a life-and-death struggle to preserve the liberties and the integrity of the New World, to be stabbed in the back by Axis emissaries operating in the Territory, and under the free institutions, of these two republics of the Western Hemisphere.” Other points in Mr Welles’s address which drew especial attention included a pledge of support for Soviet Russia, including the possible opening of a second front; a vigorously worded defence of efforts to plan now for the coming peace; an appeal for continuation of the United Nations’ collaboration after the war, and a discussion of the fourth point of the Atlantic Charter which calls for equal access by all nations to the raw materials of the earth.