PERU: Ya Ha Firmado

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Mercenary Grow. At least one U. S. citizen was in a most uncomfortable position last week. Part of President Leguia's scheme to modernize his country, cement friendly relations with the U. S. was to turn the small Peruvian Navy, the Peruvian airforce over to U. S. officers. According to this plan Captain William S. Pye and Captain W. O. Spear were given furlough from the U. S. Navy to take charge of the Peruvian Navy as members of the "U. S. Naval Mission." Lieut. Commander Harold Grow, "resigned" from the U. S. Navy to become Captain of the Peruvian Air Force. When revolution broke out fortnight ago Captain Grow obeyed the orders of President Leguia, loaded his plane with 20-lb. bombs, flew south to bomb the rebel city of Arequipa. He was captured. Snapped Colonel Cerro last week: "Grow was a mercenary hireling of the Traitor Leguia. He flew toward Arequipa carrying bombs. The consequences of his action might have been incalculable. He will be judged before a military tribunal."

U. S. State Department' officials realizing that Cerro would be perfectly within his rights in shooting Lieut.-Commander Grow, admitted that "a very delicate situation exists," hastened to make urgent unofficial pleas for Grow's life. They had one potent weapon: Sanchez Cerro as well as Augusto Leguia needs U. S. official recognition. Unofficially the U. S. hinted that with Lieut. Commander Grow dead, recognition would be "difficult."

In New York last week the recently appointed U. S. Ambassador to Peru, Fred Morris Dearing, left off vacationing, hurried aboard the Grace liner Santa Clara.

"I'm going down to look things over," said he.