A division of opinion with regard to the Eichmann case is developing within the Foreign Ministry here, it was indicated today. One group in the Foreign Ministry is known to advocate a moderate position toward Israel. Another group, led by ultra-nationalist Luis Marin de Pablo Pardo, legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry, insists on a strictly legalistic position, holding that Argentine should break relations with Israel because of the Eichmann case.
The same differences of opinion were indicated in editorials today in La Nacion, La Prensa and Correo de la Tarde. All three are very influential dailies here. La Nacion and La Pronsa support the steps taken by the Government until now, However, Correo de la Tarde states that, at most, Argentina can demand only the extradition from Israel of those who “illegally” captured Eichmann, but not Eichmann himself. The Nazi’s captures, declares this newspaper, should be brought to trial here for violations of the criminal code, under which they could be sentenced to prison terms of from two to six years.
(Most of the press in Brazil, according to dispatches today from Sao Paulo, holds that the moral and human considerations outweigh the strictly legal aspects of the Eichmann case.)
Diplomatic sources said here today that France had offered a compromise solution to the Argentine-Israeli dispute over the capture of Eichmann. Under this plan, it was said, Israel would agree to the return of Eichmann–by proxy–to Argentina, and would immediately initiate formal extradition demands which Argentina would immediately grant. Argentine “face” would thus be saved, and the capture of Eichmann legalized.
(From Paris, it was reported today that a French Government spokesman has declined to comment on reports that France might serve as mediator between Israel and Argentina in the dispute over the capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. It was assorted in Paris that France would agree to act as mediator only if Israel should request it.)
Meanwhile, the Argentine Government announced today the arrest of Jan Durcansky. a Czechoslovak resident, for extradition to Czechoslovakia on charges of mass murder of Jews in that country during World War II. A preliminary statement was taken from him after the Czechoslovak legation here filed a formal petition for his extradition.
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