Latin America: Farewell

It was raining when Career Diplomat George Messersmith landed in Buenos Aires a year ago. Last week, when the retiring U.S. Ambassador took his leave it was raining again. But there the resemblance between the two occasions ended.

Messersmith had arrived in Argentina when the strain on U.S.-Argentine relations was at its height. He had eased the strain. Now, to salute the new U.S.Argentine friendship with which Argentines identify Ambassador Messersmith,*President Juan Perón had ordered a rousing sendoff. Earlier in the week he had invited Messersmith to Casa Rosada, decorated him with Argentina’s valued Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator San Martin, and embraced him while Senator Alberto Teisaire and other big shots applauded.

The night before his ship sailed, posters appeared on city walls summoning Porteños to a farewell to “a great friend of all Argentines.” They responded. Next day at the dock, a band alternately played the Argentine national anthem and the Star-Spangled Banner. President Perón, his Cabinet, and the diplomatic corps arrived and were ushered aboard.

As the ship readied to sail, Messersmith and Perón stood bareheaded on the deck, the Ambassador visibly shivering in the raw winter wind, talking fast and repeatedly jabbing Perón on the chest with his index finger. Perón reassuringly patted the Ambassador. Then the President joined 12,000 Peronistas on the pier. “Perón! Messersmith! Perón! Messersmith!” chanted the crowd. For nearly an hour, as the Del Sud moved into the stream and out to sea, Perón stood on the quayside—still waving.

*Named as his successor: Businessman James Bruce (TIME, June 16).