Council (today the Overseas Council)o From 1940 to 1944, he v/as
National Commissar of the Portuguese Youth, a fascist youth organisation.  In 1942, he was posted as Vice-President of "Camara Corpo-
rativa:-. From September, 1944 to February of 1947? he was nominated
Minister of the Colonies. As Minister of the Colonies he received in
Mozambique the visit of General Jan C Smuts, which he later returned
with a visit to Pretoria, while still organising a Conference v/ith the
Premier and the Minister of Transport of Southern Rhodesia about :?the
Common Problems of Portuguese East Africa and of British Central Africa.;;
In 1947 he left the Government to assume the presidency of the Executive
Commission of the "Uniao Nacional - National Union::' (the political party
of Salazar - the only party permitted in Portugal).  In his position as
President of the Executive Commission of the National Union, he led the
electoral campaign of 1949 for the elction of the President of the Republic - "fighting an opposition movement drawn from the appeals of
communism after the war" (Diario de Mozambique).  In 1955 he was nominated Minister of the Presidency, thus occupying second place9 immediately
after Premier Salazar. This short biography is self-evident, needing no
further comments.  It is said that at times Caetano did not agree with
Salazar. That is possible*, However, these internal quarrels must not
deceive uss  the differences, whenever they existed, cjntred around
methods, not principles. Moreover, when President Tomas (himself hand-
picked by Salazar) announced the nomination, he declared, 'I know that
the nomination of Caetano would have the total support of the Prime
Minister (Salazar) if he were capable of expressing his opinion0:: And
among Portuguese political circles, Caetano is considered -more like
Salazar than Salazar:?.
When Marcelo Caetano was nominated, FRELIMO made its position clears
"?0ur Liberation War continues. Nothing can make us believe that the
substitution of Salazar would imply any change in the colonial policy
of Portugal.  On the contrary, everything makes us believe that that
policy v/ill be intensified.- Later events gave us good reasons  the
newspaper :7Tribune de Geneve:z  of 19th December, 1963, stated;  "In
defiance of all attacks and condemnations, the Portuguese colonial
policy, established by the former President of the Council, Salazar,
will be followed by his successor, Caetano.  In a speech pronounced
in the National Assembly, Mr. Caetano declared 'Inspite of the tempest
of violence and criticisms launched by the outside, Portugal has quietly
maintained her position. Many people in the world thought that this
strong attitude was only due to a tough position on the part of Mr.
Salazar.  In reality, this was the only useful policy the only one
possible, for Portugal is responsible for the security and the preservation of the riches of its Overseas Provinces'.:'
17