No Cinderella

Telephones rang incessantly in the Latin Embassies in Washington. Ambassadors called ambassadors. Counselors called counselors. "How do you feel?" they asked. "Is your Government sending bicarbonate to kill the taste of that meal?" "Yes, it comes up my throat." "Exactly. Mine too. Like onions!"

The "meal" was the Pan American Union's decision last week to table the request of diplomatically isolated Argentina for a conference under the inter-American system of consultation. Only Argentina voted in favor. El Salvador (whose Government was unrecognized except by Honduras and Nicaragua) was not consulted. All the other hemisphere nations agreed, officially, that the Argentine request should be ignored.

Since Oct. 27, when Argentina made her request, the decision had hung fire. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department, aided by Mexican Foreign Minister Ezequiel Padilla dreamed up an entirely different conference of "the American Republics collaborating in the war effort." It would meet in Mexico City on Feb. 15. As a noncollaborator, Argentina would be excluded. The Mexico conference was primarily to discuss war and postwar problems. As an afterthought it might consider the matter of Argentina's isolation.

One Conference Enough. This spadework done, U.S. Secretary of State Edward R. Stettinius sent the Pan American Union the formal U.S. reply. "There is going to be a conference in which the Argentine question can be discussed," it said in effect. "One conference is enough."

Actually, the Latin countries were far from agreed. Several (including Uruguay, Chile, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador) were in favor of granting Argentina a hearing. But all agreed to "go along with the majority." Diplomats looked long & hard to find a "majority." What they found was the U.S. State Department.

That was enough. Dutifully, the Latin ambassadors decided against Argentina. Then they went back to their chancelleries to complain about indigestion.

Argentina's reaction was immediate. Her Government announced that it would not participate in further meetings of the Pan American Union so long as it continued to "disregard Argentine rights." Neither would it send a voteless, unequal delegate to the Mexico City conference. "Argentina," said a spokesman, "does not intend to play Cinderella in Mexico or elsewhere."

That there was no complete break with the Union was largely due to Foreign Minister Orlando Peluffo's moderate attitude. But early this week Peluffo resigned. Argentina was suffering from her own brand of political indigestion.

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