Good-Neighborly Day

It was a great, Good-Neighborly occasion. Los Angeles' entire Mexican colony--biggest outside Mexico's borders--had turned out to celebrate their Independence Day. In front of the reviewing stand at the State Building milled a bright crowd of 10,000 men & women in scrapes and gay finery.

And on the reviewing stand, happiest of all, stood Good Neighbor Henry Wallace --first Spanish-speaking Vice President the U.S. had ever had. A tiny Mexican girl ran to the stand, kissed him on the cheek. The crowd waved Mexican and U.S. flags with equal enthusiasm.

Good Neighbor Wallace stepped to the microphone, spoke in the unhesitating Spanish he learned at Washington's Berlitz School and at Spanish-practice luncheons with Washington cronies. "These two nations," said he, "are next-door neighbors and good neighbors, and we have joined hands in the great fight of the United Nations to keep the world free."

Then & there, for the benefit of Mexicans he proposed to add to President Roosevelt's four freedoms: "If I understand their history and feelings clearly [Mexicans] would add three more freedoms: First, the freedom to buy land at a reasonable price; second, the freedom to borrow money at a reasonable rate of interest; and third, the freedom to establish schools which teach the realities of life" (i.e. secular schools).

When he finished, he leaned close to the microphone and shouted: "Viva Mejico!" The crowd cried: "Viva, viva, viva Mejico!" He shouted: "Viva los Mejicanos!" The crowd cheered. Grinning, he shouted: "Viva las Naciones Unidas!" Cried the crowd: "Viva Wallace!"

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