Evening star., 1940-10-06
By JOHN GUNTHER.

IlOG YET ReIlcI ally kllUWu llclC IlidI
the President elect is planning an
American trip. The exact date Of
his departure is not yet known, but
it will be soon.
The fact that Gen. Avila CamachO,
who is to assume office on Decem-
ber !, should take the unprecedented
step of leaving Mexico at this time,
indicates the vital Importance he
attaches to the friendly development
of MeXican-American relations.
The general is a powerfully built
man of AZ, with heavy, bulging
shoulders and an impassive manner.
His talk is deliberate and forceful.
His attitude is one of reserved con-
fidence. He does not like to be hur-
ried, but he wastes no time.
With two friends, I arrived at
dusk at the President-elect's head
quarters. We were carefully scru-
timed through a window in a big,
tawny oak door. In the patio armed
bodyguards sat comfortably. While
waiting to be received We talked with
the generals 15-year-old adopted
son, a handsome blond boy, and his
personal physician.
Aware of Complex Relations.
An aide de camp led us inside,
and we sat on the terrace of the
generals house while the sharp
Mexican twilight deepened into
nightfall. The general wore bright
| Diyiliov frvonlc had
been hard at work since early
morning, but he showed no evidence
of impatience or fatigue.
Gen. Avila Camacho said at once
that he realized full we'll the i'm
portance of close and friendly re-
lations with the United States. He
is quite aware of the complex in
ternational situation of the mo-
ment, following the Japanese mill
tary alliance with Germany and
Italy.
He said 1T is my ambition to
make relations between the United
States and Mexico better than they
have ever been. Not merely to
! keep them good, but to make them
better. I hope that the United
States and Mexico will be closer.
more friendly, more firmly bound
than e2er before" - ''--'--y.'. :
Gen. Avila Camacho would not
commit himself in detail as to his
American plans. He did not care
to say what he would tell American
political personages when he meets
them. He pointed out that his
trip would be entirely private and
unofficial.
Il have never been in the United
States before, except for brief visits
to Texas and California" he went
on. What I want to do is educate
myself. I want to sound out Ameri-
can opinion informally and learn
about American problems"
Even though Gen. Avila Camacho
insists that his journey is unoff1-
cial, it is obvious that a visit to
Washington by the president ELECT
of Mexico has, at this particular
time, an acute and particular sig
nificance. President Roosevelt has
just received the military chiefs
of nine Latin American countries.
He has said that the defense Of the
Americas is a common problems
for all the Americas.
Doubts Danger to Mexico.
Gen. Avila Camacho did not. how
ever, want to discuss such affairs
in any detail. He seemed skeptical
of any imminent danger to Mexico
from the totalitarian states. He
said that there was mo definite fifth
column" in Mexico, without enlarg-
ing on this topic further.
The impending visit of the presi-
dent elect to the United States is of
great interest from the point of
view of domestic Mexican politics
as we'll as in relation to foreign
affairs and defense. The generals
rival for the presidency, Gen. Juan
Andrea Almazan. who claims to
have won the July election, is also
in the United States. Gen. Alma
zan has issued manifestos attacking
the Cardenas regime and his sup
porters have attempted to organize
revolutionary junta in San An
tonic, Tex.
Gen. Camachos trip is not, how
ever, to be taken as an attempt to
counteract Almazanista propaganda
in the United States. The generals
friends here do not think that this
Is necessary. They consider that the
A I'm 41o1aI -
completely.
But when Gen. Avila Camacho
visits high officials in Washington
and is received by eminent Ameri-
can dignitaries the effect in Mexico
is bound to be considerable Any
Mexican president-elect who is cor
daily received in Washington will,
at this particular time, find his
prestige at home enhanced
Gen. Avila Camacho reiterated to
me recent statement that he was
"a believer" that is, a good Roman
Catholic. that his government would
not collaborate with Communists,
and that he would rule in a COM
pletely democratic manner.
Began Life as Engineer.
I asked the general to talk in
formally about his early career. He
said that he had begun life as an
engineer, and then, like most good
Mexican politicians. he entered the
army. He worked himself up rank
by rank. Far from becoming a gen.
eral overnight, he passed long years
in the junior ranks. He has special
lied in administrative work.
When it was first suggested that
I be a candidate for president
refused until 1. had passed three
months in close study of the situa-
ton" he told me. II wished to
prepare myself in every way pos
sible."
The generals friends say he
spends most of every day in study
now. He is exploring every phase
OF Mexican administration with a
view to the grave responsibilities he