Evening star., 1949-01-23
Shadow Of Vargas
Clouds Political
Atmosphere
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Speciol 10 The Sunday Stor

special 10 Inc Sunooy SIoE
RIO DE JANEIRO.-The giant
republic of Brazil is approaching one
of the most critical periods in its
history. General elections are in the
offing, the second since the 15-year-
old dictatorship of. Getulio Vargas
was overthrown in 1945 and the
country returned to constitutional
government. These elections already
are haunted by a number of danger
Gus possibilities:
The old-guard army officers who
have long dominated the Brazilian
military scene are anxious to have
another army man succeed Gen.
Eurico Gaspar Dutra as President.
Nationalisn so rampant that some
Brazilians call it "neo-fascism" is
sweeping the nation. The outlawed
Communist party has gone under
ground, to become a more elusive
and more powerful political influence
than ever before. Undoubtedly, it
will exert tremendous pressure on
the Brazilian people in the forth
coming campaign. And there is ex-
Dictator Getulio Vargas, now a
federal Senator, who is openly bid
ding for a comeback. The shadow
of Vargas hangs like an ominous
cloud over the entire Brazilian
political scene.
To these conflicting political forces
can be added a depressing economic
and social situation. The cost of
living, already eXorbitant, is still
rising. Big cities. like Rio de Janeiro
with its 2,5OO,0OO inhabitants in
particular, are suffering from food
shortages. 1t is common sight to
see thousands of housewives stand
in line every day for bread, milk,
meat and butter, and be turned
away empty-handed. Ground trans
portation facilities - railroads and
highways-are woefully inadequate
except, perhaps, in the great in
dustrial area of Sac Paulo. For lack
of transportation, food and agricul-
tural produce often rot so miles
away from the populous centers
where they are badly needed.
Cost of Living Spirals
All Of this is topped off by a
spiraling imitation. Labor groups,
headed by government workers, are
clamoring for higher wages and
salaries. Public utilities and rail-
roads are demanding increased rates
to offset wage increases. Business
and industry are asking higher
prices. The textile industry, most
important single manufacturing
enterprise in the nation, is insisting
on higher tariffs to eliminate COM
petition from imported textile wares.
And every one of these demands
sends the cost Of living still higher.
The only thing certain in Brazil 5
economic future is that sub
stantial part of its coffee crop-up-
wards of 10 million bags year-will
continue to sell in the United States,
and at good prices. But that is
about as much as Brazil can ex-
pect. So much coffee is now avail
able from Is other Latin American
coffee countries that there can be no
large increase in our purchase from
Brazil. And higher coffee prices
boosted IS per cent to 100 per cent
since the end of the war-will cer-
tainly be another brake on coffee
consumption in the United States.
Dutra Is Popular
Moreover, Brazils coffee industry
today is in state of transition, with
all the dislccations that this implies.
The soil of the great plantations
which produced the bulk of Brazil
Ian coffee in the last Is years is
becoming so depleted that continued
operation is no longer profitable.
Now plantations are being estab-
lished in more remote sections in
the interior. This makes new
arteries of transportation necessary,
and they will be tremendously ex-
pensive and take considerable time
to construct. Meanwhile, a new
pest, tiny bug that bores into the
trunk and branches of the coffee
tree, is playing havoc with planta-
tions in certain parts of the coun-
try.
The administration of President
Dutra has shown little leadership or
ability in meeting these pressing
problems. No man in Brazil is held
in higher esteem than the chief
executive. Even his bitterest
enemies concede that he is one Of
the most honest and sincere public
officials the nation has ever had.