Evening star., 1942-08-31

milton TO the pOSltlOn OF nHueilCe'
they have enjoyed. While feminine
groups in other Latin nations still
bowed to the old Spanish tradition
of being decorative but retiring,
Chilean women we're active In ca
1eers. They especially like the field
of social work where they have &C
complished wonders in alleviatlng
the suffering following Chlle's
earthquakes.
Women in professions were not
rarity during the past decade, one
of Chile's most outstanding women,
Gabriela Mistral, poet laureate OF
Chile. refused several diplomatic
posts offered her by her govern
ment. This was only because an
office might interfere with her writ
ing, not because she felt the officials
who would be her bosses would be
preiudiced toward women in foreign
service.
And today, more than ever. Chile's
government officials reflect the
mood of the population at large.
The present coalition government
represents the increasing voice Of
Chile's laborers and small business
men in their nations policies.
Visit of Ecuador's President
Also Arouses Interest.
Another president from Latin
America whose visit will cause
much celebration in the Capital is
DR.. Carlos Arroyo del Rio OF Ecua-
dor. This hardy land supplies some
essential products to the Allies and
is the real home of the Panama"
hat. 1t is democratic by tradition.
The early explorers who settled
there (after some rather tough deal
ing with the head-hunting natives)
did not maintain close correspond
ence with the Hispanic nobility OF
the Court of Spain. That was LETT
for the rest of Colombia, OF which
it was then part. The Ecuadore-
ans we're too absorbed in exploring
the dense jungles that lead to the
Amazon and establishing fincas
along the slopes of their high noun
tains to have time for the f1attery
and luxury of court life. To TINS
day, Ecuadoreans are thoroughly
down -to-earth people, as is demon
strated by their Ambassador here.
Captain Colon Eloy Alfaro, who
starts his working day at 8 o'clock
in the morning-a precedent IN the
diplomatic corps. The gracious
Sonora de Alfaro will return from
Panama, where she has been visit
ing her son, in time to act as hostess
to her President.
The completion of the new Chan
cery Building for the Mexican Er1-
bassy draws attention to the activi-
ties of DR.. Ramon Beteta, Mexico's
minister of finance, who is here as
minister "for the duration" So
glamorous is the personality of For
eign Minister Ezequiel Padilla that
DR.. Beteta was able to arrive almost
unnoticed to establish his Offices and
commence the tremendous work of
collaborating with the United States
Government in the war effort while
his colleague, DR.. Padilla, held the
spotlight during his visit.
When Mexico declared war against
the Axis the machinery to facilitate
close harmony with the United
States had already been set up.
So large staff was required to
accomplish this that the embassy
building on Sixtaeenth street over
flowed. A contingent of workers took
temporary quarters in an aban-
doned Hungarian bank building
close to the State Department. It
is for this group that the new
chancery has been erected and
their housewarming precipitates a
Mexican fiesta at the embassy.
The men who comprise Dr. Be-
teta's staff are the pick of the
Ministries of Finance and Foreign
Service Among his able assistants
is the brilliant young Senor Fer
nando Garibay, loaned from the
New York Consulate for special work
in petroleum problems. Educated