ARGENTINA: Liberty & Justice

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General Eduardo Lonardi last week handed back to the Argentine people more of the rights and liberties lost under the dictatorship of Juan Perón. Acting with speed and sense, the new President:

¶ Shut down the big mail-censorship operations in Buenos Aires' post office.

¶ Made radio time, once reserved for Peronistas only, available to all political parties.

¶ Restored tax exemption to churches, both Roman Catholic and Protestant.

¶Gave universities back their autonomy, i.e., freedom from government dictation.

¶ Freed government employees from making forced contributions to the Eva Perón Foundation charities.

Lonardi brought back more than freedom; he brought back justice. In 1946 and 1947, Perón's Congress impeached the entire five-man Supreme Court on the novel ground that its earlier decisions constituted "misdemeanors." The judges were thereupon ousted and replaced by Peronista lackeys. The new President threw out the Peronistas and replaced them with law professors and provincial judges known for their brains and probity. And he started the General Confederation of Labor on the way to pick new leaders for itself.

Argentines responded to the new climate with joyous tumult. At Buenos Aires' Teatro Cómico one night, Lola Membrives, an actress Juan Perón had decorated, was hooted from the stage with the raucous cry, "Give back the medals!"

The unlamented ex-dictator observed his 60th birthday 670 miles from Buenos Aires, in Asunción, Paraguay, where he angered the new Argentine government by saying in an interview that he still considered himself Argentina's constitutional President. The Foreign Office cracked back with a strong warning to Paraguay. At week's end, amid recurring reports that he will move to Switzerland, Paraguay promised to make Perón behave.