Not Radical

Arrived in Manhattan, Plutarco Elias Calles, President-elect of Mexico, en route for Mexico City from travels in Europe (TIME, Aug. 18).

On Dec. 1, he will sit on them Presidential chair of Mexico which President Obregon has kept warm these past few years. At a dinner given to him by the Chamber of Commerce, Senor Calles, having eaten "busily of filet, partridge, salad and mousse," stood up to indicate the policy that his administration would follow. Enthusiastic applause greeted him. Standing with his back to the Stars and Stripes, his bulging shirtfront "full of chest," his chin sticking out "like a fist held in front of his face," the President-elect began : "Senores capitalistas," and continued in Spanish:

"I know that I have been pictured by certain of the press as a destructive man and without capability of properly conducting the destinies of a Nation. Let me assure you, gentlemen, that those things are untrue. My program is eminently constructive and eminently logical. I believe that Mexico cannot be a great country as long as it has 12,000,000 of human beings who have for several centuries been in perpetual slavery. To lift the moral and economic level of these men I believe to be a work of reconstruction that will benefit not only Mexico but all other countries with which Mexico has relations ; because it is not to be doubted that with the awakening of the spirit of industry among those unfortunate people, the volume of business will be greatly multiplied; and then we shall have performed for our country the great humanitarian work that has been intrusted to us.

"We wish to establish cordial relations with all Nations on a basis of equality, on a basis of honor, and we ourselves shall make every possible effort to constitute a moral and efficient Government that will do away with the vices of former exploiters; and you may have the absolute certainty that the ideals we are seeking, the betterments we are trying to effect, will not be an obstacle either to the development of industry or commerce, but will serve to strengthen the spiritual ties that must unite all countries in the world."