The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1950-04-20
US. NAY PROVE vALuAsLE
Behind The
World News
BY WILLIAM JoLEscH.
Associated Press Writer


ing us visit which may be
valuable for his own country.
President Gabriel Gonzalez
.Videla, with his wife and other
members of his official party,
flew to this country last week in
President Truman's personal
plane, the independence. After an
overnight stop at Mr. Truman's
Little White House in Key West.
the Chilean party flew on to
Washington on Wednesday to be
Welcomed by the President and
members of his staff.
! The National Capital put on
quite a show TO greet the chief
executive from Chile. His next
Jew days were filled with ac-
4ivity. typical of his itinerary
tluring his three-week state visit
to the country.
President Gonzalez Videla is
used to activity. Now fifty, he
became a lawyer and went into
politics early. In 1934--at the age
of 33--he was the youngest Presi-
dent of the Chamber of Deputies
in the history of Chile. He sery-
ed his country as Ambassador to
France during the Nazi occupa-
lion, and it was then that he
learned to hate Totalitarianisln.
Today President Gonzalez vi
della is staunch Democrat who
has brought about the outlawing
of the Communist party in his
country. He has done this despite
the fact that the Communists
helped elect him President of
Chile in 1916 He took Commun-
lists into his cabinet at fiFst-and
let them stay long enough to dis
credit themselves in the eyes of
the nation. Then he kicked them
out. Since that time, he has been
a strong anti-C Communist. At his
.lrging, the party was outlawed
in Chile in 1913.
Gonzalez Videla believes in
personal action. AS President he
has had to deal with several vio-
lent strikes and plots from left
and right, and he has invoked
martial law more than once. Dur
.ing one mine strike that was
paralyzing Chile, he went TO the
mine that was the chief source of
strouble ard talked TO the men
personally. When he finished
speaking. they cheered him.
Another example of his per-
sonal action was shown during a
dispute with Great Britain over
the ownership of Antarctic lands.
He went 10 the frozen islands to
take personal possession
Gonzalez Videia's term as Pres
ident of Chile lasts until Novem-
Der, 1852. He works long hours
and -spencs nearly every week
end making political speeches.
He gets around from one end of
Chile to the other in his own
plane, and he frequently takes
his wife and their two married
daughters with him. For relaxa-
ton he likes dancing especial
.ly the Sanlba.
Although his visit to this coun-
try is described officially as
spurely social, Gonzalez Videla IS
likely to mix business with pleas
ufe. There is a feeling that he
may be seeking answers to some
of Chile's problems. Chile is rich
in nitrates, iodine and copper
.-and because of mineral exports,
-the country has usually had a
favorable trade balance.
But there are difficult internal
economic problems just now.
MANY thousands of peasants live
in poverty, and there has been
severe imitation. Farm methods
are backward in Chile. and some
crops which once were adequate
must now be supplemented by
imports.
From the time that's President
Truman first announced his
point four program to help back
ward areas in the world, Chile
expressed interest The South