CHILE: Calculated Risk

In his turbulent year in office, President Gabriel González Videla has gambled a lot, and always won. Last week, his victories over the Communists behind him, he was ready to gamble again. Just one year after signing the $175,000,000 trade agreement with Juan Perón (TIME, Dec. 23, 1946), he sent the treaty to Congress for ratification.

As it had from the beginning, the powerful Chilean National Agricultural Society led the opposition. It was dead set against the limited trans-Andean customs union that the treaty would set up. That, it said, would lead to Argentine food-dumping and put Chilean farmers out of...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!