Evening star., 1942-06-28
Venezuela Holds Hope
For Early Solution
0fShipping Problem
Mission Which Came Here
To Make Report This
Week to President Medina
BY NAT A. BARROWS,
Foreign Correspondent OF the Star and
Chicago Daily News,

InlCdkO Ddlly NEWS,
CARACAS, Venezuela, June 81
One war-born problem touches
Venezuela more vitally at the mo-
ment than any other: How. to get
more shipping for her supply line
from the United States.
Already paying heavy price in
curtailed petroleum revenues as
consequence of Axis submarine activ-
tiles in the Caribbean, Venezuela is
in an awkward position of living
from ship to ship for many of her
necessities. Docks and warehouses
in New York are piled with thou
sands of tons of food, requirements
and other key imports awaiting
cargo space for Venezuela. Delivery
Is beyond any schedule.
Around the assignment of more
ships centered the talks of the
Venezuelan mission to Washington
after the United States invited
Foreign Minister CaracCiolo PARA
Perez and other officials for discus
sion about shrinking trade between
the two countries.
Will Report to President.
DR.. PARA Perez will make his
personal report to President Isaias
Medina Angarita next week, re-
counting both the results of his
Washington conferences and his
highly significant visit to Mexico.
Informed observers here predict the
reaction will see Venezuela moving
into even closer pro-democratic
collaboration, possibly to the point
of following Mexico as a declared
war partner of the United Nations.
In the IA months since he took
over the presidency from Gen. Flea
Ear Lopez ContreraS. Gen Medina
has clearly shown his anti-fascist
stand and has reiterated that Ven
ezuela will always be in the hour
of conflict on the side of her sister
nations of the continent"
Venezuela broke off diplomatic
relations with the Axis last De-
cember 81. Since then she has
invited United States air mission
here for instruction of Venezuelan
pilots, has backed up Mexico and
Colombia at the Rio conference,
has reaffirmed her subscription to
the Atlantic Charter and, as one
cabinet officer puts it. has shown
her desire to be democratic all the
way"
Nedina Offers Great Hope.
Gen. Medina, fortyiSh, an ardent
golfer and a skilled horseman, has
advanced far as an administrator
since Lopez Contreras selected him
as a candidate against the writer
Romulo Gallegos. In a nation that
endured q years of domination by
Juan Vicente Gomez and only re-
Gently has been able to train
young men for executive manage
ment in politics, Gen. Medina offers
the greatest hope Venezuela has
known since the days Of the llber-
ator. Simon Bolivar.
His problems as president are
almost overwhelming. The supply
line to the United States heads a
long list that includes development
of agriculture and livestock, re-
duced cost of transportation, re-
duction of governmental eXpendi-
lures, and modification of social
security and labor laws for uni
formity.
War Close to Venezuela.
Even without the exigencies OF
war pressing on the economy OF
Venezuela, Gen Medina would have
his hands full. But the war has
come close to Venezuela. The pinch
Is tighter almost daily-heavy re-
ductionS in oil production due to
decreased tanker facilities. the in
different dollar market locally, scare
tiles and more SCarcitleS.
The war has come to Venezuela
both openly through submarine at
tacks on Venezuelan flag tankers and
indirectly through her economy. She
must soon make a decision as to her
next steps Here, in the mountain
capital where Bolivar was born,
there is an increasing aware
ness of what Bolivars ideals Of lib
erty would be worth if the Axis
should win.
And so Caracas awaits the return
of her scholarly historian, traveller
and linguist, DR.. PARA Perez, and
what he has to say. After that:
What will Medina do?
Copyright, 1912, by Chicago Daily News)