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P
Y
Santiago, Chile, July 14, 1947
Dear Norman:
I do not wish to burden you with a "forty page" epistle of
the prophets, but now that you have taken office, there are some
phases of the Chilean picture on which you may like to have my
impressions. I shall set them forth as concisely as possible.
I.
First, I have the feeling that Chile is very much out of
favor in Washington, and I suspect that this is due in a large
measure to the Communist infiltration into the government on
the inauguration of Gonzalez Videla. After many conversations
with him and a close observation of his action, I am convinced
that there is not a drop of Communism in him, that he would like
nothing better than to rid himself of their company, that he is
earnestly seeking the collaboration of the Liberals to make this
practical and that at no remote date this may be brought about.
Morbidly ambitious for the Presidency, lacking foresight,
and realizing that his one chance for the election, if not, in fact,
the nomination, depended on Communist support, he probably
made reckless commitments during the campaign. I was all but told
this much in a long conversation with him, between his election and
inauguration, when he said he would be forced to put three Communists
in the Ministry, *but they will not last three months.
After giving me that assurance, he amazed me with occasional
public declarations complimentary to his Communist allies,
indicating to me that he was afraid of them and that they had some
hold on him. While making these complimentary statements, he
has complained bitterly to his real friends, the Radical leaders,
against the Communists.
The result is that, through an understanding with the Radicals
and Liberals, their Ministers resigned to give him freedom of
action, on the assumption that in common decency the Communist
Ministers would also resign. With characteristic shamelessness
they held on and had to be dismissed, their resignations demanded.
This caused bitter reactions among them.
Then came the peasants' syndicalist measure, framed orginally
to serve the political objectives of the Communists, bitterly opposed
by the Rightists, who insisted that it be vetoed by the President.
The Communists made it an issue, and the President vetoed it. I
know that, apropos of this, there were violent scenes between
Gonzalez and the Communist leaders.
SERVICE
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"ocrText": "P\nY\nSantiago, Chile, July 14, 1947\nDear Norman:\nI do not wish to burden you with a \"forty page\" epistle of\nthe prophets, but now that you have taken office, there are some\nphases of the Chilean picture on which you may like to have my\nimpressions. I shall set them forth as concisely as possible.\nI.\nFirst, I have the feeling that Chile is very much out of\nfavor in Washington, and I suspect that this is due in a large\nmeasure to the Communist infiltration into the government on\nthe inauguration of Gonzalez Videla. After many conversations\nwith him and a close observation of his action, I am convinced\nthat there is not a drop of Communism in him, that he would like\nnothing better than to rid himself of their company, that he is\nearnestly seeking the collaboration of the Liberals to make this\npractical and that at no remote date this may be brought about.\nMorbidly ambitious for the Presidency, lacking foresight,\nand realizing that his one chance for the election, if not, in fact,\nthe nomination, depended on Communist support, he probably\nmade reckless commitments during the campaign. I was all but told\nthis much in a long conversation with him, between his election and\ninauguration, when he said he would be forced to put three Communists\nin the Ministry, *but they will not last three months.\nAfter giving me that assurance, he amazed me with occasional\npublic declarations complimentary to his Communist allies,\nindicating to me that he was afraid of them and that they had some\nhold on him. While making these complimentary statements, he\nhas complained bitterly to his real friends, the Radical leaders,\nagainst the Communists.\nThe result is that, through an understanding with the Radicals\nand Liberals, their Ministers resigned to give him freedom of\naction, on the assumption that in common decency the Communist\nMinisters would also resign. With characteristic shamelessness\nthey held on and had to be dismissed, their resignations demanded.\nThis caused bitter reactions among them.\nThen came the peasants' syndicalist measure, framed orginally\nto serve the political objectives of the Communists, bitterly opposed\nby the Rightists, who insisted that it be vetoed by the President.\nThe Communists made it an issue, and the President vetoed it. I\nknow that, apropos of this, there were violent scenes between\nGonzalez and the Communist leaders.\nSERVICE"
}