Chilean, Brazilian Trade Unionists Hit U.S.'s Stand on Latin America

American policy-makers must gain deeper insights into the personal feelings of Latin America and come to accept their socialist aspirations or risk losing their friendship, a delegation of Chilean and Brazilian trade unionists declared at Quincy House last night.

All five of the Catholic labor leaders agreed in citing psychological understanding as a more critical need than massive doses of foreign aid. "We are tired of being treated like adolescents who make 'problems' for their 'sugar-daddy'," declared Leopoldo Garcia of Brazil. "You don't find out about psychological attitudes in statistics. Even those who most sincerely want to help us base their judgements only on statistics and end up making grave mistakes," he said.

One part of a more profound understanding, they felt, would be a willingness to let South Americans solve problems in their own way--even though American-owned industries would have to be nationalized. There was general assent to a proposal by Jose Moraes of Brazil to nationalize (with compensation) public utilities and basic extractive industries, establish a free-trade area throughout South America, and institute agrarian reform.

While Fidel Castro has lost considerable prestige in Brazil because of his mass executions, ties with Russia, and suppression of trades unions, any U.S. action against him will fortify his support there, Garcia contended.

President-elect Kennedy's recent "Point Four Youth Corps" proposal, whereby college graduates could work in under-developed countries rather than do military service, got a mixed and rather cool reception from the group.

Youth Corps Questioned

"People in my province are mostly farmers and tend to be rather suspicious," observed Garcia with a twinkle in his eye. "I can't see what contribution would be made there by a young fellow coming from abroad and speaking an in comprehensible language."

Moises Leyton of Chile declared that it would take longer than three years for people to learn to work effectively in his country.