Friendly Get-Together

From the luxurious Hotel El Panama to Host President Ricardo Arias' 23-room waterfront palace, the stage was set for this week's meeting of American Presidents in Panama City.

Firm acceptances were in from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and most important, the U.S. Bolivia, El Salvador and Peru planned to send their presidents-elect. Indications were that at week's end, when the guests get together for the first formal meeting of the two-day conference, at least 17 chief executives and presidents-elect* would be on hand to lend glitter to the largest collection of heads of state ever to baffle a protocol officer in charge of dinner seating.

It went without saying that the No. 1 guest would be Eisenhower of the U.S. When he was stricken with ileitis, the meeting, originally scheduled for June 25-26 to celebrate the 130th anniversary of Simon Bolivar's first Pan-American conference, was postponed (TIME, July 2). With Ike present, the gathering promised to be harmonious; perhaps the knottiest problem to be threshed out will be the wording of a declaration of Western political ideals. And such traditional enemies as Costa Rica's liberal President Jose Figueres and Nicaragua's perennial Strongman Anastasio Somoza will doubtless be on their best behavior.

On hand with Ike will be Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and Henry Holland, the Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs. In the intervals between the banquets, meetings and wreath-layings, Ike and his aides should have plenty of time for relaxed private talks with the Latin Americans. Probable results: no momentous decisions or policy changes, but a healthy cementing of old friendships and a better understanding of common problems.

* Attendance of the presidents of Mexico, Honduras and Ecuador was still uncertain; Colombia's President Gustavo Rojas Pinilla probably must stay home to handle a touchy internal situation.

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