Competitive Courtesy

The U.S. and Argentina vied to honor Brazil's new President Eurico Gaspar Dutra. Both sent distinguished representatives to his inaugural--the U.S., Fiorello H. LaGuardia; Argentina, Vice President Juan Pistarini. Both sent their best warships. On the sleek, British-built cruiser La Argentina (6,000 tons), President Dutra received the collar of San Martin. Aboard the mighty carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt (45,000 tons),he watched 75 warplanes roar into the air, but got no medal. Both the U.S. and Argentina scheduled--the same evening--lavish embassy receptions. President Dutra solved that problem by attending both, became the first Brazilian President to set foot in the U.S. Embassy.

The U.S. reception was a final triumph for Adolf A. Berle Jr., who resigned five days later as U.S. Ambassador. In his controversial year and eight days in Brazil, ex-Assistant Secretary of State Berle saw more of Brazil than had any U.S. Ambassador, worked energetically for planned Brazilian economic development, watched the critical transition from Vargas-bossed to popularly elected government. His crucially timed speech at Petropolis last September, delivered on State Department instructions, helped hold the line for free presidential elections. But Sumner Welles in the U.S. and Vargas supporters in Brazil denounced the speech as intervention, loosed a fierce attack that probably made old New Dealer Berle look forward happily to resuming his Columbia University law professorship. Mentioned as his successor: Career Man R. Henry Norweb, present U.S. Ambassador to Cuba.

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