CHILE: Progressive Socialism

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Military members of the regime were soon blamed for forcing Don Carlos out. These included General Arturo Puga, president of the Junta which was formed at the same time as the new Cabinet, and Defense Minister Colonel Marmaduke Grove. The sudden "illness" of General Puga was invoked as an excuse for not announcing Don Carlos' resignation. Taking the standoffish attitude of a soldier who thinks civil matters should be left to civilians, Col. Marmaduke Grove said: "I declare emphatically the firm determination of the Army & Navy not to mix in politics but to continue fulfillment of their duty in protecting the Socialist Republic." General Puga, mum as an owl, retired to bed.

In Santiago, bewildered by these developments, three schools of rumor held sway: 1) that former Dictator Carlos Ibanez, still supposed to be exiled in Argentina last week, might be expected back in Santiago at any time to resume his interrupted Presidency (TIME, Aug. 3); 2) that anti-foreign sentiment would flame up and sweep to power Senator Manuel Hidalgo. Communist, who ran in Chile's last presidential election on a platform of confiscating "Cosach," splitting up Chile's vast landed estates among the peasants and repudiating the national debt; 3) that the Army & Navy strongmen would postpone the selection of a civilian leader and might even be persuaded to let Don Carlos Davila withdraw his resignation.

Any or all of these things might happen, but meanwhile the Junta appointed a successor to Don Carlos: Minister of the Interior Rolando Merino. General Puga arose from his sick bed. Senor Davila's mild methods of socialization, it was said, were the cause of his fall, but the Junta announced its regime would receive his support. Only new indication of policy was that the Government would delay converting the Banco Central into a State institution. It was reported that Aurelio Munez Morgado, strongly antagonistic to "Co-sach," would supervise Chile's nitrate industry. But Chile's Government late last week was still nebulous. Only undisputed leader was Colonel Marmaduke Grove.

Grove & Davila. Jaunty and glib, Colonel Marmaduke Grove has figured in several Chilean revolutions, attempted one in 1930, using for purposes of getting into Chile from Argentina the airplane Friendship in which Passenger Amelia Earhart first crossed the Atlantic. Captured by troops loyal to Dictator Ibanez, the Colonel was exiled to Easter Island. There he pumped the Chilean Governor of this colony so full of revolutionary ideas that Governor & Colonel set out in a small boat to Tahiti, later made their way to France. In July 1931, after Dictator Ibanez was ousted, Colonel Grove returned to Chile, has been intriguing ever since.

Don Carlos Guillermo Davila, born of poor parents 47 years ago, worked his way through law school, nearly starved trying to practice law, entered journalism. Playing the Press and politics for all they were worth, he built up a fortune in little over a decade, boomed General Ibanez for the Presidency (Dictatorship) and took as his well-earned reward the Chilean Embassy at Washington.