A Brazilian airliner startlingly painted with Arabic characters landed at Rio's Galeao field one day last week. "Special for President Chamoun," said the inscription, and on board was the chief executive of Lebanon, first Middle Eastern head of state ever to visit South America. In the welcoming committee surrounding President Getulio Vargas, Camille Chamoun noted six Congressmen of Lebanese descent. Said he, "I already feel at home."
President Chamoun was aware that there are 250,000 Lebanese in Brazil. Smaller than Connecticut, the republic at the eastern end of the Mediterranean is so densely populated (1,250,000) that a nearly equal number...
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