Evening star., 1943-04-25
Execution Of American Flyers by p Brings Demands for New Raids
Nervous Lisbon
Sits on Powder Keg, but
Escapes Disaster

LISBON R).-Portugal In the warning
world is like tiny sailing boat trying
to ride through terrific storm with the
least possible damage and no casualties.
The man at the wheel knows well enough
that, no matter how skillful he may be,
all his good efforts will prove useless If
the war lords make up their minds to
sink his boat. But he is hopeful.
Three hard years of war have passed
and this westernmost country of Europe
is still neutral and apparently enjoying
the respect Of all. Will there be price
to pay for this? Would Portugal have
better right to speak and better trumps
to put on the peace table If she also
had taken direct part in the struggle?
These are the questions that every Portu.
guese asks himself and finds hard to
answer.
Great War II found Portugal in the
middle of her reconstruction (from the
last war and from period of political
experiments. She had two main neigh
bors only: England on the sea and in
Africa, and Spain in Europe.
England's friendship was almost a
tradition; Spain, the continental neieh-
Dor, demonstrated that she wanted to
be friendly.
The neutrality Of the two peninsular
nations fitted the interests of both. To-
gether they might remain neutrals. Thev
could keep up their exports and imports
OF most needed produces and feed their
peoples. Thus was evolved the pelin-
sular bloc, signed in December, 1912.
No Nightmares in Portugal.
Portuguese are now able to sleep with
out Nightmares. They see hardly any
point in an attack from the side of the
United Nations and they read every day
the war communicates which reassure
them that Germany is too busy to seek
new front, especially in distant and
poor countries such as Spain and
Portugal.
There are undoubtedly a number of
Portuguese who would have followed a
different course But the intervention
lists are few in number and constitute a
mild opposition to which the government
has not seriously objected.
Their number would, however, in.
crease to an overwhelming majority if
they saw that the country was parting
from its neutrality in favor of the Axis.
Neutrality has brought upon the popu-
lation heavy sacrifices which every one
seems to endure without protest. The
cost of living has gone up over so per
cent since 1889. And so the Portuguese
individual has been forced to cut down
his expenses to the minimum that may
keep him alive, since the government
has refused to authorize raises in
salaries.
Besides high prices, there are short
ages OF commodities, due mainly to the
lack OF transportation; that, in turn, dus
to shortage of gasoline and coal to keep
trucks and railroads running.
Shortages Due to Transport.
Lisbon has lines of people to buy
charcoal, olive oil, soap, candles, etc.
There is no shortage of such things in
the country, but there is no transporta-
ton to the city markets. There also is
shortage Of meat, again due to the
lack of transportation between the colo
nies and the Azores
But these difficulties are felt mainly in
the big centers. The country may lack
matches, tobacco, sugar, kerosene, etc,
but this little changes the standard of
living. The overwhelming number of
Portuguese-and this includes almost
every one outside of the big centers-sel-
dom eat meat at all. The normal per
capita consumption of meat in Portugal
Is smaller than in any other country in
Europe and doesn't exceed five grams
per day.
The Portuguese are probably the most
carefree people in Europe. They are
proud of their past-but they seem to
have lost, at least temporarily, their old
spirit of adventure. The average Portu-
guese feels that he has done a great
deal for the world and expects the world
to respect his rights.
Thus. Portuguese trust their govern
ment and rather like its policy Of pru-
dence, Go slow to 60 far" according TO
the old proverb that Premier Antonio de
Oliveira Salazar has made popular
The Portuguese is an individualist par
excellence and self-opinioned as we'll.
In spite of high percentage of illiterates,
the Portuguese is mentally universalist.
Portuguese universities dncluding thoss
of engineering) produce more doctors"
than practical men. They learn every
thing, possibly too much of everything.
This excess Of universal science Is nat
urally flooded out to the less learned
ones and even among the illiterates who
think and act like "grownup children
of the precocious type" They have an
extraordinary ability to understand
things and discuss them
Sympathy for Allies.
This explains their individualism and
pride of opinion, their sympathy for Eng
land, Brazil and America Where they
feel that, individuality is real and prac-
tical.
The Portuguese is religious He does
not always go to church and often dis
agrees with the padre of his diocese. But
he prayS and you would find hardly q
Portuguese who does not carry with him
the image OF Our Lady or the saint OF his
name or devotion.
Now what about the Portuguese war
effort" 50 far?
Economically, they have suffered heavy
taxation-direct and indirect. And the
government has taken good care that
"the country and the people should not
make business out of this war"