Argentine President, in Television Address, Warns Against Bigotry

President Arturo Frondizi strongly condemned in a national radio and television address yesterday all forms of racial and religious intolerance. Both the President and Alfredo Vitolo, the Minister of the Interior, gave assurances that the full rigor of Argentine law would be applied to suppress manifestations of intolerance whenever they appeared.

The issue with which the President and the Interior Minister dealt arose from the violently extremists propaganda made by anti-Semite Alberto Uriburu two weeks ago on the radio in connection with the March 18 elections.

President Frondizi said that such manifestations in Argentina were small and represented “a false nationalism, intentionally exacerbated by interested quarters.” He added that it affected Argentine youth, “even if they are very small groups” and that he was convinced the manifestations were “only episodical.”

He declared it was “the duty of parents and teachers to seek to influence this profoundly mistaken youth in order that it may be understood that the road they are taking is not only not national but destructive. The full rigor of the law will be applied every time,” he warned.

JEWISH DELEGATION ASSURED BY ARGENTINE MINISTER OF INTERIOR

Minister Vitolo gave his assurances to a delegation from the DAIA, the representative body of Argentine Jews, headed by President Isaac Goldenberg. He told the delegation that measures had been taken to repress anti-Semitic expressions on radio, television and street meetings. He cited the broadcast statement of President Frondizi.

Dr. Goldenberg expressed the gratification of the DAIA over the assurances which, he said, expressed not only a legal duty but also a concern for humanity and democracy. He emphasized Argentine Jewry’s concern since recent anti-Semitic manifestations had taken on a crude neo-Nazi form. He added that they were aimed not only at Jews but also generally against democracy and that they were therefore against Argentine traditions.

Later, Dr. Vitolo told a press conference about his meeting with the DAIA delegation, stressing that he had given the assurances directly to its members. He stated again the Argentine Government’s firm resolve to prevent resurgence of every kind of racial totalitarianism. He said the Government would not exercise the previous censorship of radio and television but that at the same time it would not allow extreme nationalist groups to use the facilities or that it would cut short such talks when that became necessary.