Winning Team

All over Buenos Aires, flags waved and banners proclaimed a welcome to Olympic visitors. But even the star performers in the first Pan-American Olympic games--to be held at 21 different sites, from the light opera theater (weightlifting) to the Campo de Mayo military post (equestrian sports)--could not get top billing last week over the two champion hurdlers of Argentine politics, Juan and Eva Peron.

All of the voluminous literature published about the games dwelt at length on the Perons' personal interest in sports. The opening of the games had been nicely timed to coincide with both the fifth anniversary of President Peron's election and the start of the Peronista party enrollment for the 1952 vote. Equally well timed was a little curtain-raiser.

Calling on the President with a delegation of ladies, in her capacity as head of the Peronista Women's Party, Eva presented Juan with an engraved gold watch and formally proposed his re-election for another six-year term. (Peronista Congressmen had paved the way last year by changing the constitution to allow a President to succeed himself.) Said Eva: "We have perhaps disobeyed the intentions of our great President. But many times in the past many great men disobeyed their government to save their country. And following the example of San Martin, we are disobeying to save the country, because in 1952 we are going to save it with just one man: Peron!"

After he had mastered his emotions, Peron replied: "In thanking Madame President of the party for her keepsake, I want to say--perhaps for the first time in public--how grateful I am for the great work she is carrying on ... The action of this woman, placed at my side by Providence--perhaps to make up for all the 'defects which human personality has both in its essence and presence--is beyond imagining."

Later he told a meeting of Peronista women that their party constituted "a new political force in Argentina" and that "when women begin to vote, they will take their place also in public office." Red-hot prospect for the first woman to take office: Eva Peron, as Vice President.

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