Now, Alas, the Guns of May

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pilot and capturing another. The Argentines said that a third plane had been hit and was seen "falling into the sea." By Sunday, they claimed to have shot down seven British aircraft. Air force officials in Buenos Aires admitted that three Argentine soldiers were killed and seven wounded in the attacks, but they insisted that ground defenses on the island had not been damaged "in the least."

The Argentines sent six Israeli-built Dagger jets against the British fleet in retaliation, and claimed to have badly damaged at least one British vessel. The British admitted that a frigate had suffered minor damage and one sailor had been wounded, but said that they had downed at least two Argentine planes.

Amid the welter of claims and counterclaims, President Ronald Reagan told reporters in Washington that the attack had come as a "complete surprise" to him. He said that it would not deter the U.S. from seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict, even though the U.S. had openly declared its support for Britain only a day earlier. Declared Reagan: "All I know is we will stand ready to help."

The clashes followed Secretary of State Alexander Haig's stark warning on Friday that "the South Atlantic crisis is about to enter a new and dangerous phase, in which large-scale military action is likely." The showdown had indeed seemed inevitable by the end of last week as British forces imposed their total blockade and Argentine troops dug in to defend the territory they had themselves seized by force.

After weeks of intense negotiation, Haig had admitted failure in the U.S. effort to bring about a diplomatic settlement in the Falklands crisis. He left no doubt that the blame lay with the aggressor, Argentina, and announced that the U.S. was finally abandoning its formal stance of neutrality in the dispute. Effective immediately, the U.S. was joining 14 other Western nations in imposing some form of economic sanctions on Argentina.

Specifically, the U.S. announced that it was:

> Suspending all military exports to Argentina.

> Withholding certification of Argentine eligibility for military sales.

>Suspending new Export-Import Bank credits and loan guarantees.

>Suspending loan guarantees of the U.S. Commodity Credit Corporation.

In addition, Haig said that the U.S. would provide "materiel support" for the British forces if requested. That is likely to include fuel for warships and aircraft at relatively close range to the disputed zone. Until now the U.S. had provided weather and satellite intelligence information, and aircraft refueling at Ascension Island, where Britain and the U.S. share an airbase. Haig stressed, however, that there would be "no direct U.S. military involvement" in the Falklands.

Haig's announcement may have been intended in part to move the Argentines into resuming negotiations. In any case, the U.S. actions had an immediate effect. Within minutes after the Secretary of State finished making his statement in Washington Friday morning, Argentine Foreign Minister Nicanor Costa Méndez appeared at the United Nations to declare that his country "is always willing" to comply with an April 3 U.N. Security Council resolution calling for cessation of hostilities between Britain and Argentina, for Argentine