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University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, May 22, 1963
Duvalier Remains Despite Enemies
By Phil Newsom UPI Foreign News Analyst
President François Duvalier of Haiti is a physician-turned-dictator who keeps himself in office with the aid of a pistol-packing force called "Tonton Macoute."
Translated from the Creole, Tonton Macoute means "bogeymen" and it is a fair description of these bully boys who swagger in blue jeans and sports shirts and who reportedly are adept in all forms of persuasion from "voluntary" contributions for Duvalier's personal projects to torture for his enemies.
ALTOGETHER, they total about 10,000 as compared to Haiti's regular army of 5,000 a force which Duvaler systematically has stripped of its best officers since he first took office on Oct. 22, 1957.
Duvalier currently is observing a "month of gratefulness" for a bit of political sleight of hand which he executed two years ago and by which he declared himself reelected for a new six-year term two years before his old term was to have expired.
His old term expired May 15.
AN OUTFIT calling itself the United Revolutionary Forces announced it would carry out a "dry cleaning" operation against the "tyrant-voodooist" Duvalier.
Haiti has charged Dominican Republic connivence in an assassination plot against Duvalier which failed but led to the deaths of a chauffeur and two bodyguards watching over Duvalier's children. The U.S. embassy officially warned some 1,500 Americans to store up food and water and stay off downtown streets.
AND HAITI and the Dominican Republic have come close to armed blows.
For itself, the Haitian government has pressed a hate campaign against both the Dominican Republic and the United States and has threatened that any uprising against Duvalier would produce a "Himalaya of corpses."
U. S. aid to Haiti since 1946 has amounted to around $100 million dollars and the most to show for it is a small dam, some road repair and progress in eliminating the tropical yaws.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO, as an indication of its obvious distaste for Duvalier, the United States cut off its Haitian aid but has remained in a quarantine since over what further action might be taken.
QUILL no. 3
NOW ON SALE
203 FRASER
STUDENT UNION
The Duvalier regime obviously represented the very opposite of the democratic ideals pursued by the Latin American Alliance for Progress.
On the other hand, severe action against Haiti only would further the misery of its 4 million inhabitants whose living conditions already are among the worst in the world.
WHILE CUTTING off aid, the United States has continued a 55-man Marine training mission in Port-au-Prince, partly on the theory that some of the best and most responsible men in Haiti were in its armed forces.
The U.S. remains in a dilemma in Haiti. But there also is the belief that eventually Duvalier must fall. The direction of that fall would determine the U.S. position—intervention if Communist, support if there seems a chance for a new democratic rule.
FRATERNITY JEWELRY
COLLEGE STUDENTS SUMMER JOBS
June - September
Nationwide corporation needs alert, well-groomed college students for promotional work in new division.
$84.50 per week
$1000.00 scholarships to be awarded outstanding applicant. Work locally or transportation furnished to Lake of the Ozarks and other resort areas. Excellent pay and opportunity to enjoy swimming, boating, and fishing. Qualified applicants can continue employment on part-time basis after school resumes in fall.
Apply: Mr. Campbell
Thurs. May 23, 2 p.m.
at the
Forum Room of the Union Building
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