PAN-AMERICAN POLICY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 December 1938, Page 5

PAN-AMERICAN POLICY

THE LIMA DECLARATION PHRASED TO SATISFY ARGENTINA. UNION AGAINST FOREIGN AGGRESSION. I By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, j LIMA, December 22. j The delegates to the Pan-American Congress here have agreed on the draft of the proposed declaration of the solidarity of the American Republics against aggression, thus ending the long-drawn-out United States of America-Argentina dispute over the wordings of such a declaration. It is a victory for Argentina, since it contains nothing directly critical of the totalitarian States. The proposal, on the other hand, which the United States delegation circulated was unmistakably aimed at the dictatorships, thus causing Argentina's rejection, but though the present draft’s mild form represents a concession to Argentina, it carries out the basic United States objectives. The text first of all reaffirms continental solidarity, secondly,- it reaffirms the decision of the 21 Republics to maintain and defend their principles and absolute sovereignty against all foreign intervention or activity and, thirdly, it proclaims their common interest in and determination to make effective their solidarity by consultative‘procedure if the peace, security or territorial integrity -of any of the Republics is threatened. NEW DIFFICULTY ARGENTINA MAKING TROUBLE. REPUDIATION OF DRAFT. NEW YORK, December 23. A Lima message states that a new difficulty broke out at the Pan-Ameri-can conference when, according to the “New York Times,” the Argentina repudiated the solidarity draft, asserting that the conference chairman gave out the text without awaiting Argentina’s approval. Argentina is reported to feel that the action was taken with the purpose of forcing her to participate in unanimous approval. The “New York Times” is informed that the inside story is that the publicised text was virtually the same as the one Argentina was willing to accept last week though other delegates were unwilling. Hence, when the others decided to concede, in order to satisfy Argentina, it was felt that the latter wold not refuse to sign the draft acceptable last week, and the authorities went ahead without consulting Argentina. It was a sad tactical mistake for the Argentina, because of her trade ties with Europe and her watchfulness lest she be noil accorded equal rank with the United States of America, has so blocked and hindered most of the conference efforts. It is certain that the chairman’s blunder will only magnify this attitude and increase Argentina’s distrust of United States domination.