Evening star., 1938-03-27
HELD
FRANCOIS MODEL
SaIazar Heads 'Best-Run'
Dictatorship, Says D. c.
Former Envoy.

At time when the worlds thoughts
are on Germany, Austria, France,
Britain. China, Japan and Italy,
Campbell Turner, former American
diplomat who retains broad interna-
tional connections, reported here yes
terday on the state Of affairs in al
most-forgotten but important Portu-
gal, where the dictator is an economist
and an enemy of speechmaking.
Portugal is the best run dictator
ship in Europe today" said Mr.. Tur-
ner, who returned to Washington
Wednesday after four months spent
in Spain, Italy, Portugal and North
Africa.
Dictator Romantic Figure.
The Premier and dictator is Dr.
Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, a ro-
mantle figure, who quit his studies
for the priesthood when he fell in
love with a high-born beauty whose
father would hear nothing Of the
match. DR.. Salazar became a pro-
fessor Of economics at the Coimbra
University, and today he is minister
Of foreign affairs. minister Of finance
and minister Of war, as well as Pre-
mier Of Portugal. He remains a
bachelor.
Portugal is important In the world
picture of 1888. Mr.. Turner, who con-
ducts a school for diplomacy, said
because Gen. Franco II he is vic
torious, plans to model his Spanish
state in accordance with the prac-
tices OF DR.. Salazar. who has intro
duced the corporate state, modelled
after Mussolini's lead. but who likes
to deny his land is Fascist. One OF
his latest moves was the reorganiza-
ton of the army-usually a first step
for dictator
Portugal has money in her treasury
and her people are quiet, If not rich,
Mr.. Turner whose wife was born a
Portuguese with the name Carlota de
Vasconcellos, said. When DR.. Salazar
entered the government as minister
Of finance in 1927, the country was
bankrupt and the government was
debating whether to borrow through
the League of Nation on humiliating
terms.
Controls Expenditures.
DR.. SalaZar insisted on controlling
expenditures If he was to dominate
the finances, and because Portugal's
problem 10 years ago was financial. the
college professor became the DOM
inant figure in the government and
grew to such influence that today he
is in truth the dictator who gets no
interference from the President, Gen.
Antonio Oscar de Fragoso Carmona.
Portugal has national suffrage, with
both men and women enjoying the
franchise. But the candidates of the
Government party always win, accord
ing to Whitaker's Almanac, in the
elections to the Assembled Nacional,
the country's unicameral legislature.
There is also cooperative
chamber consisting Of representatives
OF local authorities and industrial,
commercial and other corporations
organizations of employers and en-
ployes), to which all bills introduced
into the assembly must be submitted
for its opinion" Whitaker adds.
THE legislature is In session for
three months in the year. In the re-
cess the government legislates by
DEGREES or decree-laws, OF which the
latter only must be confirmed by the
legislature"
DR.. Salazar has made only 16
speeches in 10 years. and each speech
expounds deep problems of govern
ment finance and economics. He
makes no appeals to the populace's
sense of glory, an unusual sort of re-
straint for a European dictator. He
jails Communists and governs strictly.
but is popular, Mr.. Turner found.