Two Flops

For a while last week, the long-awaited popular revolt seemed to be rising in Argentina. Opposition groups, disgusted with the militarists led by Colonel Juan Domingo Peron, were getting together under the name of Comando Unico (Single Command). Their aim: to throw out all the barrack-room statesmen, set up a civilian government pledged to hold elections.

Counted on Comando Unico's side were party politicians, exiles in Montevideo, important bodies of troops both in Buenos Aires and the provinces. The Navy steamed into the harbor. Communists, Socialists, Radicals were eager to pour their multitudes into the streets. Even the Catholic Church, which has favored authoritarianism on the clerical Franco model, was turning against the militarists. Several high clerics, many humble priests were warning good Catholics to shun them.

But the great revolt never came off. Erratic Lieut. Colonel Tomas Duco turned it into a comic-opera failure. Prematurely, he led his Third Infantry into the streets of Buenos Aires. They commandeered cars, trucks and a train. Occupying the suburb of Lomas de Zamora, they set up machineguns and artillery.

Colonel Peron moved fast. His First Division marched out of Campo Mayo. His planes dropped flares, pinpointed Duco's troops. There were ultimatums, negotiations. The "Single Command," confused or suspicious, did not give the signal for general revolt. Duco was left alone. At last he surrendered, went to jail.

Cracked Front. Peron had won a victory. He quickly won another. The U.S. State Department was trying to form a united hemisphere front against the regime of Peron's stooge, anti-U.S. Vice President Edelmiro Farrell (who had forcibly replaced President Pedro Ramirez). U.S. Ambassador Norman Armour was instructed to "refrain from entering official relations" with Farrell. British Ambassador David Kelly got the same order. Latin nations were supposedly "consulting."

Then Chile's Ambassador, Conrado Rios Gallardo, presented a note which he "was most happy to deliver." His Government declared that the Farrell regime was legal, required no new recognition. The hemisphere front was also a flop, cracked by a supposedly friendly, democratic country to which the U.S. had confidently looked for support. Cheering Argentine nationalists surrounded the Chilean Embassy, waited for other Latin nations to follow Chile's example. Chileans waited for angry repercussion in their own country.

The U.S. had suffered a severe diplomatic defeat. The Argentine Government had shown real strength. Never, at week's end, had the U.S. Pan-American policy been in sorer straits.

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