Intervention?

Supporters of former Foreign Minister Ezequiel Padilla raised the specter of U.S. intervention in the Mexican presidential campaign. In Mexico City, where Padilla's new Democratic party met last week to nominate him for the Presidency, Padillistas were saying:

P: That Padilla had assurances of Washington favor and U.S. monetary help.

P: That Padilla would win the popular vote but that the Chamber of Deputies, which counts the vote and is dominated by the self-perpetuating P.R.M. (Revolutionary Party), would declare P.R.M.-sponsored Miguel Aleman the President after next July's election.

P: That Padilla would declare himself President anyway, set up a cabinet and seek U.S. recognition.

Padilla himself was less crass, more realistic. He took the line that the U.S. would not intervene in his behalf, but that of course the U.S. Government was for him, just as it is for all good democrats in Latin America.

Said a State Department spokesman: "We have not interfered . . . and we certainly don't propose to."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.