Latin America: Neatest Trick

Brazil's President Getulio Dornelles Vargas had not lost his touch. Last week, with a flourish of his wily pen, he brightened the chances of Government-backed Candidate General Eurico Gaspar Dutra in the approaching (Dec. 2) presidential elections, rocked opposition candidate General Eduardo Gomes back on his heels and left the Government's uneasy Communist allies stunned. A presidential decree 1) advanced the date of state elections to coincide with the presidential elections, 2) required state governors to resign and stand for election if they want to succeed themselves.

Even with official propaganda, apparently limitless funds and control of the labor unions, the Government had found it difficult to promote a country-wide organization behind Dutra. Reasons: 1) state pride, 2) apathy toward dull Candidate Dutra, 3) the hot weather. But now that state governors were to fight for their own political lives on Dec. 2, they would have to roll up their sleeves, rally town mayors, dogcatchers and other local officials behind the Government cause.

Bluer than oppositionist Gomecistas were Brazil's Communists. U.S. Ambassador Adolph Berle's recent intervention had spiked Communist efforts to call for a constituent assembly, then stall elections and keep Vargas in power. Now Vargas, too, had discarded the idea.