The Neighbors Agree

Beneath the twinkling chandeliers of the Pan American Union's ornate Hall of the Americas, the hemisphere's foreign ministers last week ended a fortnight of emergency consultations in neighborly accord. One by one, the ministers stepped forward to sign the Declaration of Washington, affirming "common defense against the aggressive activities of international Communism," and the 29 other resolutions adopted to carry out that purpose.

Farewell Words. Last to sign the gold-embossed, blue leather book, Secretary of State Dean Acheson strode back to the head of the table to deliver, in his role as conference president, a few words of "affectionate farewell." Said Acheson: "There were no rivalries at this meeting, no stars and no satellites, no victors and no vanquished, no winners and no losers. We have all won . . . because we are colleagues and because our fundamental interests are common interests." That night, after hearing President Truman hail their work as "proof of the vitality of free men and their institutions," the ministers headed for home.

After a slow beginning, they had done surprisingly well. Though they balked at promising troops for Korea, they adopted one measure which, if carried out, meant that the U.S. would not again have to tie up 140,000 men to guard hemispheric bases as it did in World War II. With weapons and training provided by the U.S., the Latin Americans would now be expected to do this job. The resolution was carried after Argentina, Mexico and Guatemala inserted an escape clause that the republics would perform such tasks only "in accordance with their capabilities and constitutional processes."

Home Problems. The neighbors also agreed to increase output of defense materials. They further resolved, "to the extent that the emergency permits," to seek economic development and improvement of living standards in backward countries. The latinos, especially the Brazilians, would have liked a stronger commitment on their economic problems. But they felt, especially after Defense Mobilizer Charles Wilson had spent a lively afternoon answering their questions, that the U.S. was aware of such problems this time and would take them into consideration.

Rio's influential, conservative opposition newspaper Correio da Manha protested that the solidarity at Washington was attained at the expense of freedom. Said Correio da Manha: "The foreign ministers avoided touching on the case of La Prensa . . . Freedom was sacrificed to the diplomatic convenience of having General Peron's representative sign the conference declarations . . . Unanimity . . . was not really achieved. La Prensa is a reality: Peron's solidarity is at best an equivocation."

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