862.20235/4–1046
Balance Sheet of Argentine Elimination of Non-Economic Axis Subversive Influences14
I. Axis Agents
The United States and British Embassies until April 1946 had discussed with the Argentine Government the possible deportation of only one hundred and twenty-two German agents. More or less adequate action has been taken against all but nine of these. The two cases in which the position of the Argentine Government is most open to question are those of Ludwig Freude and Heinrich Doerge. Action taken against Freude is open to suspicion of non-sincerity of purpose; no action has been taken against Doerge. It might be said that proof of the Argentine Government’s sincerity in proceeding against Axis subversive influences, hinges on these two cases. Yet the case of Freude may take years to resolve even if the Argentine Government proceeds aggressively against him; thus its sincerity or lack thereof will be difficult to prove.
There are about one hundred and fifty other German agents (many not German citizens and some perhaps naturalized Argentines) of sufficient importance to request their deportation. Only about half these are very important. About seventy were involved in espionage [Page 242] or sabotage cases [Class A (a)]. About eighty are in the A (b) classification outlined in the Department’s instruction of December 3, 1945,15 i.e., they took a leading part in aiding German political, social or economic objectives, et cetera, but are not known to be involved in espionage or sabotage. The Argentine Government has accepted the principle of deportation of espionage and sabotage agents regardless of their importance; it has not accepted the principle of deportation of “leading” Nazis.
Discussions regarding these one hundred and fifty are now being conducted with the Argentine Government on an informal basis. Action probably should not be expected regarding class A (b) cases until some démarche is made to the new government soon to take office, and it is induced to adopt a policy of repatriation of individuals in this category.
See Annex15 for details.
Graf Spee Crew
Eight hundred and eleven of the crew of the former German battleship Graf Spee were repatriated in February 1946. Two hundred and thirty escaped before that date. Probably half the escapees returned to Germany before the end of the war. Some of the remainder may eventually be recaptured and returned to Germany; two already have been recaptured and are awaiting repatriation.
II. Axis Institutions
A. Schools.
The first action taken against Axis schools was a decree of September 10, 1945, ordering the government to take possession. At that time formal possession was taken of one Japanese and nine German schools; this action was of no positive value in as much as the schools themselves had already eliminated Nazi doctrines from the curricula in an attempt to forestall their closure. These schools and a few others were ordered closed on October 31, 1945, a month before the normal end of the scholastic year. By November 12, 1945, those named in the order actually were closed. They included most but not all of the important Nazi schools. The others were outside the capital or were well camouflaged as “Argentine” schools.
At the beginning of the new school year, March 1946, the Government took physical possession of the properties of some of the most dangerous Nazi schools. At least five remain however; two are well camouflaged. Still four others may be operating under camouflage or by circumventing Argentine regulations which do not affect small [Page 243] classes conducted by individual teachers. These matters now are under investigation.
The Junta de Vigilancia (a dependency of the Foreign Office primarily concerned with economic matters) is concerned with this problem from the standpoint of controlling Axis assets. The Foreign Office itself is interested from the overall standpoint of compliance with the terms of the Final Act of the Conference of Mexico City, 1945.16 The Ministry of Justice and Public Instruction is concerned from the standpoint of actual control and operation of the schools. The Superintendency of Corporations is concerned from the standpoint of granting or allowing corporate status to school associations. There is little or no coordination between these agencies. This Embassy is unable even to obtain material for its reports concerning action taken by the Argentine Government, except from the public press. There is, furthermore, little interest shown by the Argentine Government. It takes the position that the requisite action has been taken. Since this Embassy is not in a position, for lack of information, to contradict this position to any considerable degree, no action is taken by the Argentines to better the situation. One factor in this lack of interest is the conviction in Argentine Government circles that this Embassy and the Department have been playing politics with the Axis elimination program and that, therefore, their protests do not necessarily have great validity from a factual standpoint.
B. Axis Institutions.
All dangerous German institutions, other than schools, are believed to be closed and inoperative at the present time. Information in this regard is vague however, for the same reasons that that situation exists with regard to Axis schools (see above).
A few Japanese institutions have been closed but there still are operating a few which might be of a dangerous character. The Embassy’s information in this regard is too indefinite at this time to allow of definite statements or any approach to the Argentine Government other than a request for information. As pointed out above, such approaches have been to little avail.
C. Suggested Course of Action.
These matters should be carefully investigated by the Embassy, acting independently.
The Department should expedite the transmission of material taken from German archives captured in Germany, which bear on these matters.
[Page 244]The Embassy, acting jointly with the British Embassy, should propose to the new Foreign Minister when he takes office, or to President Perón himself, the adoption of some means by which the Embassy can work more directly with the operating agencies in this field, namely the Ministry of Justice and Public Instruction and the Superintendence of Corporations. This might be accomplished by an informal joint commission including Foreign Office and Junta de Vigilancia representatives.
All dangerous Axis teachers should be repatriated.
III. Axis Periodicals
There are at present in Argentina only three periodicals which might possibly be called continuations of former Axis periodicals. These are the Freie Presse, La Tribuna and La Epoca. It is questionable if these newspapers are continuations of Axis periodicals. In any case, such continuity, if existant, would be extremely difficult to prove. None of them now publish anything approaching Nazi doctrine although the latter two are very anti-United States.
The Embassy believes that it may now be considered that there are no Axis periodicals in Argentina at present.
IV. Other Related Matters
A. Former German Embassy Archives and Property.
The Swiss Legation relinquished possession of these archives and property to the Argentine Government. The British, French and United States Embassies have access to the archives. These Embassies have taken the position that the Argentine Government has possession merely as trustee for the Allied occupying powers. A request in September 1945 for delivery of archives and property to the three Embassies was denied with the observation that an examination of the archives was not yet complete and that, after the examination is completed, the matter again would be considered. The Argentine Government has not yet indicated acceptance of the theory that it is only a trustee.
At some appropriate future date, the three Embassies again may wish to ask for delivery to them of the archives and property.
B. Italian Matters.
The British and United States Embassies have agreed to discontinue present pursuit of Italian subversive matters because of their unimportance.
- Transmitted to the Department in despatch 2483, April 10, 1946, from Buenos Aires; received April 17. For an appraisal of this statement, see memorandum of April 24, by the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State, p. 247.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Department of State Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS) No. 1543.↩