Evening star., 1954-11-25
Report on Chile

An article by Daniel James In The
Star OF November 20 states that Chile
Is on the verge Of falling under Com
muniSt domination. He bases his opin-
ion on the existence OF political force
Of allied opposition, In which the Com
munists have command. It is incon-
venient to Judge situations whilst la
boring under an alarmist psychosis.
It is a Communist tactic to ally itself
with any kind of political strength in
order to set up opposition and make
difficulties for governments: the par
ties Of conservative tendencies dos
same thing. The common objective
unites them temporarily, but nothing
more than temporarily. Scarcely has
the danger Of upsetting constitutional
order become apparent than the CO.
alition ends, and the conservative
forces return to their orthodox posi-
ton, and assist the government against
the common enemy, which is commu-
nism. It is probable that Mr.. James is
not familiar with these tactics, used
so often against democratic govern
ments. There is no way to avoid them,
and they are occurring in all coun-
tries that are governed under demo-
cratic principles. In international pol
itics similar phenomena are seen. Did
not the United States and Great Brit
ain join with the Soviet Union to de-
feat Germany? This is coalition, al
so, but neither the United States nor
Great Britain turned Communist, nor
did the Soviet Union convert itself
into a democratic system.
It is clear that In domestic politics
there are certain ways to avoid this
play Of the parties. One very much in
vogue is dictatorship. But hope that
this is not what Mr.. James wishes.
although he suggests it.
Neither is it correct to state that
Chile is bordering on communism be-
cause it suffers the evil of strikes. II
Mr.. James carefully reads the daily
press he will note that there is prac-
tically no country in the democratic
world that does not suffer from this
disease. if it may so be designated.
There are strikes in England, there are
strikes in the United States; it may
be said then, in conformity with the
logic of Mr.. James, that these two pow
ers are Jon the verge of communism.
Mr.. James says that the United
States is partly to blame for the prob
lens that aff1ict Chile. Who knows
but that in this he may be somewhat
right. This year, due to strikes in the
copper mines of the United States and
Chile, a shortage of this metal oc-
CURED; under the law of supply and
demand by which are governed the
so-called free world, price is deter
mined by this law, as is well known.
When there is an abundance of an ar
ticle, the price is depressed; when there
is scarcity the price rises. In the pres
ent case the price remained the same
despite the scarcity, because the Gov
ernment Of the United States trans
formed scarcity into abundance by
dumping $4,000 tons into the market.
In this case Chilean copper has been
unable to enjoy the advantages of the
law of supply and demand. For Chile
this means q loss of several million
dollars. f89t 5,s % es-- s.t.s..s e. s.
However, 1t is not my wish to blame
any one for what, happens or fails to
happen in country. Every nation
is master Of its own destiny. s3E ~
But it does seem pity that public
opinion in one country is rnisled by
a false Interpretation of what happens
in another. 5000 miles away. seyzss
Anibal Jara, oj
-tas Ambassador Of Chile.