POPULAR FRONT-

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 6

POPULAR FRONT-

THE ONLY SURVIVOR CHILE PAYS BIG PRICE DOMINANCE OF SOCIALISTS. i SANTIAGO (Chile), Jan. 9. This country, which boasts the only! surviving "Popular Front Govern-1 ment” in the world, is waking up to > the fact that it has to pay a price foi ' the privilege. The price is the in- ( creasing dominance of the Socialists. I The "Popular Front.” formed a year ago to oust a National Rightest Coalition, is composed mainly oi Radicals, Socialists, and Communists. The Radicals, equivalent to Liberals in the American sense of the void, are strongest. President Pedro Aguirre is among their membership. Although a Frontist minority, the Socialists Jost no time in exploiting this new Government situation and squeezed their militant members into key posts. First they gained three Cabinet posts—Production, Land and Public Health. The first was useful to precipitate spending, the second lor electoral promotion in farming bel's, and the third as an advertisement for : socialistic achievement. Grandiose Schemes. The Production Ministry will handle much spending in reconstruction of the earthquake devastated area, for which the law allows 50,000,000 dollars, and in the industrial development programme linked with the recent American 5,000,000, dollar credit from the Export-Import Bank of Washington. Through the Land Ministry the Socialists have advanced grandiose schemes of farming, estate division, and colonisation. Their immediate concern, however, was to organise farm workers’ syndicates, which was a big victory. Hitherto the main Socialist electoral strength has been in the cities. The party has penetrated many fiscal and semi-fiscal institutions. A Socialist runs the State Insurance Bank in which a 20,000,000 dollar actuarial deficit was announced. Another runs the employees provision organisations. Col. Marmaduke Grove, Socialist Senator, is president of the Popular Front Executive. “Last Chance” Warning. The only Cabinet opposiiton to the Socialists has come from Finance Minister, Roberto Wacholtz. He is a Radical and a friend of President Aguirre, but has been attacked daily in the Socialist Press. He is accused of being “too orthodor. ".e Socialists, however, are determined on greater spending. The Socialist, backed by the Communists, have isued a manifesto which is read as a “last chance” warning to the "Popular Front.” They agree to continue only with theacceptance of a “plan of immediate Government action. This plan demands conversion of the National Savings Bank into an “authentic State credit centre,” creation of State oil, tobacco and sugar monopolies, an annual increase of 10.000,000 in the land colonisation budget, limitation of profits and tax increases.