Bravos for Bravo

Ramon S. Castillo is a smallish, mild-appearing man with a deceptive resemblance to Cinemactor Frank Morgan. His seeming mildness hides the fears of Argentina's great families that a democratic victory in World War II will result in the unthinkable catastrophe of majority rule. Last week, when the majority threatened briefly to make its will felt, President Castillo's mildness vanished.

In the Chamber of Deputies, Socialist Mario Bravo orated for some 90 minutes: "Argentina was always a leading nation. Today we are almost out-counted in the list of American nations . . . [but] there will be a revolution. The causes of revolution are already latent." Radical Deputy Raul Damonte Taborda, bitter enemy of the Axis fifth column in Argentina, joined with Bravo, and together their two parties forced through the Chamber resolutions demanding: 1) a diplomatic break with the Axis (67-to-64); 2) fulfillment of hemispheric accords reached at the Rio de Janeiro conference in January (71-to-59).

President Castillo's answer was to "take note" of the resolutions and brush them off the next day by pointing out that under the Argentine federal system questions of foreign policy are the concern of the executive branch. Then the Congress adjourned until May 1, 1943.

Under Argentine law a President is ineligible to succeed himself. But Argentines suspect that because Castillo came to office through a vacancy and not by a vote (TIME, July 6) he will claim the right to stand for election in 1943. It would be a neat trick and, the way ballots are counted in Argentina, it might work.

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