Capital Confusion

Capital Confusion A muscular dystrophy victim named Renato Ruieroz made the 800-mile trip from Rio by wheelchair, and arrived in time. A relay of athletes ran a flaming torch from Salvador, 1.800 road miles away, as 100,000 Brazilians converged last week to hear President Juscelino Kubi-tschek proclaim: "I declare inaugurated under the protection of God the city of Brasilia." President Dwight Eisenhower, like dozens of other heads of state, cabled his congratulations "on the splendid pioneering spirit of Brazil."

The new capital, in the wilds of Goias state, was actually a glorious shambles. "I needed five more days to get it ready." wailed Israel Pinheiro, Brasilia's chief builder and first mayor. "But we just could not spare the time." In a last-minute cleanup, Pinheiro put 60,000 men to carting off debris, planting palm trees, scrubbing the red dust off Architect Oscar Niemeyer's graceful buildings. In a single day. 2,000 steel light poles were planted; overnight 722 homes were painted white.

Crowds overwhelmed Brasilia's meager facilities. "Nobody below the rank of ambassador, Cabinet minister or full general can be housed in the Brasilia Palace Hotel," ruled the chief of the inaugural committee, as 5,000 invited dignitaries fought for its 180 first-class rooms. Conrad Hilton, arriving to lay the cornerstone of his Brasilia Hilton, was offered a cot in the Palace Hotel barbershop. Said Deputy Neira Moreira: "I regret to report that Deputies are even drawing arms to assert their rights to dwellings."

Cruising around town in a new Brazilian version of the Alfa Romeo called the JK, Kubitschek signed autographs and shook hands by the thousands before turning up at a special midnight Mass. Out of bed after four hours of sleep, he raised a flag over the new capital, attended a joint session of Congress (where the air conditioning failed), watched a parade of 5,000 troops and 10,000 workers as 38 tons of fireworks lit the sky.

Though others were fainthearted (the Senate adjourned to Rio until June 1), Kubitschek declared: "On Monday we start another blitz to finish Brasilia."

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