Latin America Still Admires U.S.A.

Minor undercurrents of Communism and Nazism in Latin America are not undermining a continual admiration and loyalty, for the United States, Marcel Bataillon, France's highest-ranking authority on Spanish literatures, said yesterday following his lecture on "Religious Drama and Theater of the Golden Age of Spain" at the Modern Language Center.

Bataillon, professor at the College de France, has just returned from a summer's lecture tour in South America and is spending this week at the University.

Anti-Communists

Latin Americans are generally steering clear of the few Communist and Nazi sympathizers who operate south of the border. They continue to follow and even imitate American customs and ideals, Bataillon added.

"Recent accusations that such countries as Colombia and Venezuela are seriously pro-Communist can be passed off as simply abuse of language," he explained.

Bataillon notes one strong show of anti-American spirit in Peru, where a "very important" party--the Apristes--is advocating National Socialism and antiracism. Peron in Argentina is "just a demagogue" and the nations Bataillon visited are not at all fearful of his intentions.

Bataillon's summer mission to Latin America, which covered five countries, was sponsored by the French government. He is currently touring such large American colleges as Harvard, Yale, California, and Smith.

Not only do the people respect the "Good Neighbor Policy" but they are adopting many typically American social customs. "In Venezuela, they are even now playing night baseball in an illuminated stadium."

At the College de France, Bataillon devotes most of his time to private study in a method similar to that of the Harvard Society of Fellows, and the Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies. 'Professor of the Languages and Literatures of the Iberian Peninsula and of Latin America," he gives frequent lectures in Paris.