OCR Text |
Show REPUBLICS OF SOUTH WANT WAR South and Central America Will Probably Line Up With the United States. Washington. Early entrance of several of the South and Central American nations into the war against Germany is regarded here as practically prac-tically certain. Brazil, aroused by the sinking of her steamship Parana, is expected to become a belligerent this week and it is assumed that her lead will be followed promptly by other countries. Reports of divided opinion in Argentina Ar-gentina have given officials here little encouragement to look for aggressive action by that country. Active support of the United States by at least two of the five central American republics and possibly by four would not be surprising. Official reports that Estrada Cabrera, president presi-dent of Guatemala, is' contemplating seriously a break with Germany have been received. So long as Mexico's course is undefined, unusual interest is attached to the position of the central cen-tral American governments, especially Guatemala, controlling the southern frontier of Mexico. In the event of the development, of an unfriendly situation sit-uation in Mexico, it is realized that Guatemala's role would be far from unimportant. In Guatemala, Cabrera has built up what is regarded generally as the most efficient army in Central America Amer-ica and with it he wouid be in a position po-sition to lend valuable assistance to the United States. Antipathy between the Guatemalans and the Mexicans there has existed for years. It is known that earnest efforts have been made by counselors of Cabrera to induce him to enter promptly into the war. If he does place his country in the list it is expected that Nicaragua Nicara-gua will quickly follow and that the long standing difficulties between those two countries and Salvador and Honduras may be swept away in a desire to present a united Central America. |