PORTUGAL: Shoes by Decree

Every man must wear shoes, every woman, boy, girl!

Such was the gist of a decree issued by Dictator President of Portugal General Antonio Oscar de Fragoso Carmona—in the name of Progress.

Heretofore very many Portuguese have gone shoeless, or shuffled about in felt slippers. As one walks through Lisbon it is not unusual to be accosted by barefoot young women with such things as flowers for sale.

In a few weeks time, however, the bare, picturesque feet of Portugal will be shod. Naturally shoe purveying acquaintances of General Carmona will profit.

Mooted but unconfirmed is the tale that behind Dictator Carmona’s sudden shoe decree looms a man named Bat’a. Famed, he, Thomas Bat’a, is the Shoe Tycoon of Czechoslovakia (TIME, Oct. 8).

For reasons not mentioned by perfunctory Portuguese correspondents, last week, Prime Minister Vicente Freitas resigned with his whole Cabinet and then reconstituted it, as he does every now and then.* Usually this commonplace political trick is turned when it is desired to oust some objectionable minister or ministers (see South Africa).

* Portugal has had 28 Cabinets in the past five years.