Evening star., 1940-07-20

AHte7 E0B AUID0BJ. HIS 0TLGteS,
sent BY mail, ,riu be published as
they are received. This is the
eighth OF q series.
BY JOSEPH 8. EDGERTON,
Star Aviation Editor.
SANTIAGO, Chile (by AirmaiD.
The nth column is a far greater
cause Of concern to thinking people
In South America than In the
United States Nowhere is this
more true than IN Chile, particularly
In the central portion of Chile, OF
which Santiago is the heart. judg-
ing from the conversation during
this somewhat hurried flying trip
around the continent.
Germans form q larger portion Of
the population in Chile than in
any other South American nation,
we were told, and there is feeling
among Chileans that the Nazis are
better organized and probably more
powerful in Chile than In other
parts of South America.
This is due not only to the numer-
ical proportion being higher, but
also to the somewhat involved state
of Chilean politics. where the ac-
tivities of many vigorous political
parties of all shades of belief tend
to have anything but q stabilizing
effect. The political situation in
Chile, in fact, was described by po-
ltically-minded residents Of San
tiago as being analogous to that In
Spain during the days prior to the
revolution, with many powerful
parties in the field and rapidly
shifting balance of power.
Popular Frent" Failure.
The formerly very powerful
Chilean popular front" movement
began in force about two years ago,
with the support of elements OF a
number of parties and the enthusi-
astic support OF many Chileans who
saw in this movement a possible
means of improving economic con-
ditions, improving the lot Of the
working man and broadening the
scope of public education. The
popular front was just such a coaI-
ton movement in Chile as it was IN
Spain two or three years ago.
In Chile, however. the popular
front movement, despite a strong
start, has failed to meet the ex-
pectations of its supporters and has
suffered a considerable loss in pres
tige and power, according to infor-
nation here. The popular front
proved unable to put over legisla-
tive reforms, although political
power in the Chilean Legislature
has been very much divided and
many important pieces Of legisla-
ton have gone through by very
narrow margins.
There is some feeling in Chile
that the Nazis contributed In a
measure to the failure Of the pop
ular front government by political
maneuverings which have. In eject,
made an extreme cleft wing" Or
Harization of the Nam party. The
left wing movement of the Nazis
Is considered by some Chileans to
have been actuated by a desire to
confuse further the political situa-
ton, to scuttle the popular front
and to create conditions from which
the Nazi movement might gain posi-
tive advantages.
Members Of Nazi Party.
Virtually all Germans in Chile are
reported today to be members OF
the Nazi party. although many OF
them have been in Chile for many
years and had become citizens q
the country.
I'VE do not know that it is true,
but we suspect that the German
residents of Chile are being forced
into the Nazi party by coercion, +"
a prominent citizen OF Santiago
explained. They do not dare to
hold out against the Nazis. There
Is q feeling that the Nazi party
Is deliberately fomenting trouble
between the Germans and the
Chileans to make the older German
residents unpopular in the country,
to frighten them and to drive them
to the protection Of the party"
Last fall, after Germany became
embroiied in war, the German Con-
dor Airline suspended service be-
tween Santiago and Buenos Aires,
but resumed this service last March.
1t lost heavily to the United States
Panagra division Of the Pan Amer-
can Always as q result OF this
suspension and now is trying hard
to regain its lost ground. Before
the suspension the German airline
and Air France, the subsidized
French service, were sharing passen-
ger t1afic between them almost
equally with Pan American. To-
day, the German and French lines
are carrying less than 10 per cent
Of the air passengers between the
capital cities of Chile and Argen-
tina.
Panagra Gains Ground.
Although the German and French
ulT u1lC6 lldVC U4tC duvoAlO06V Va AO1Vy
governmental subsidiaries. Panagra
has continued to gain ground by
offering better and more frequent
service with airplanes, pilots and
ground personnel regarded by South
Americans as definitely superior to
those from Europe.
Nevertheless, there is belief that
the heavy subsidizing Of the Euro
pean lines, particularly Of the Ger
man system, may result in gains
which the greater economical efn-
cheney of the United States system
cannot Offset. The Germans within
the past few days completed a pas
senger carrying survey fight be-
tween africa and Santiago, Chile,
and are understood to have applied
to the Chilean government for au-
thority to operate regularly over
this route, in direct competition
with the United States line, to con-
meet two existing German air routes
between Buenos Aires and the
- a3An re>e&