Milton's Progress

Milton Eisenhower got off to a flying start on his five-week swing around South America as the President's personal emissary and factfinder. Despite a rugged schedule of protocol visits and wreath-layings, he managed to meet and listen attentively to scores of political and business leaders. In Venezuela, where everybody from President Marcos Perez Jimenez down told him that they hoped Congress would not cripple their $2.5 billion oil industry by restricting petroleum imports, he also managed to get away for a jeepback tour of the vast eastern ore fields from which Bethlehem and U.S. Steel hope some day to draw much of the U.S.'s iron-ore supply.

Flying on to Bogota, Eisenhower brought White House greetings to Colombia's popular President Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, newly installed in office after last month's army coup. "I want my first words in Colombia," said Eisenhower, "to be a tribute to the courage displayed in action by the heroic Colombian soldiers in Korea." Proud that his countrymen are the only Latin Americans fighting for the U.N., General Rojas said that they would stay as long as needed.

As Milton Eisenhower headed south this week for more looking and listening, it appeared that one of the key points of his tour might be Argentina, which was included in the itinerary only at the last minute and after notable White House reluctance. In Buenos Aires that old yanqui'-baiter Juan Peron showed every sign of getting ready to roll out the red carpet for the U.S. President's brother. Peron had recalled personable Ambassador Hipolito Jesus Paz from Washington, presumably to help organize the welcome. Last week his regime suddenly let up on its campaign to drive U.S. news agencies out of the country. The strong man also passed the word to his well-trained press to cease fire against the U.S. If he was miffed because Eisenhower's program alloted for Buenos Aires only a Saturday and Sunday sandwiched between two-day stopovers in Uruguay and Paraguay, Peronista newspapers gave no indication.

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