The Hemisphere: In Search of Something

With tears streaming down his cheeks, Juan Perón stood with Chile's President Carlos Ibañez last week on a balcony in Santiago, spread his arms wide to the crowd below and sobbed: "I offer you a loving embrace from the Argentine people —everything we have without seeking anything in return. We come only in search of the love of the marvelous people of Chile; that love will repay us." The crowd cheered.

On his first presidential journey outside Argentina, Perón had crossed the Andes for a six-day state visit with his old friend and fellow general. His purpose was to discuss with Ibañez, whom he helped elect last September, plans for closer economic and political relations between the two neighboring republics. He also hoped to found a Latin-American economic bloc strong enough to bargain evenly with U.S. commercial power, and to form the basis of the Argentine-dominated South American confederation he has long dreamed of.

In the Santiago talks, Perón found out that stern old General Ibañez favored economic cooperation—and nothing more. Moreover, Chileans had taken offense at Perón's pronouncement just before leaving Buenos Aires that "we must have total union and immediately." Almost without exception, Chilean newspapers played down Perón's arrival, and one went so far as to report it in a single paragraph on the back page. In the end, Perón had to settle for a good deal less than he wanted. The two Presidents signed a protocol pledging negotiation of a treaty within 120 days that should provide for eventual and gradual establishment of a customs union. Bolivia and Peru may be invited to join later.

Some such treaty will probably be signed. Though they want no part of actual political union with the overbearing Argentines, most Chileans, beaten down by 15 years of inflation and ruinously high living costs, are probably willing to try any sort of economic collaboration that might bring some Argentine wheat and meat to their markets. Said Perón's propaganda man, Raúl Mende: "Hunger is our ally."

In advance of the President, Argentina sent a veritable expeditionary force of athletes, trade unionists and government officials to Santiago. A claque of descamisados chanted "Pay-ron, Pay-ron" in their best Buenos Aires manner during Perén's balcony speech. Members of the St. Evita News Vendors' Union of Buenos Aires hawked Peronista emblems, and buttonholed Chilean workers for enthusiastic "missionary" talks about the union swimming pools and apartment houses in the new Argentina. One of the sport stars in the delegation who attracted special attention was Socialite Tennist María Teran Weiss, attractive young widow of a Buenos Aires businessman. Reason: she is the latest of eight or ten Argentine beauties to be mentioned as a companion of the President, and likely prospect to succeed the late Evita Perón as First Lady of Argentina.