Tabasco Talk

General Carlos Ibanez, peppery and choleric, is not so much the Dictator as the Playboy of Chile.* A year ago his rank was that of colonel, but even then he was admittedly master of the military Junta which makes and unmakes Chilean presidents. Last week, as Minister of War, he suddenly made a characteristic statement to the press:

"It is time to break the Red influence of Moscow! [This referred to a few recent speeches in the Chamber by Deputies with radical leanings.] The way to break the strangling grip of Red Communism is to inject new blood into the Cabinet. . . . We must have new Ministers of greater vigor!"

The Cabinet took its cue, resigned. President Emiliano Figueroa asked General Ibanez if he would care to form a new Cabinet. By night the new Ibanez Cabinet was functioning. Chileans understood that there would be no more tabasco talk of "Moscow" until General Ibanez again wants to do something arbitrary.

*A Republic slightly larger than Texas, not quite so populous as Manhattan plus Brooklyn.