The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-25
REDS OF vE RA CRUZ DEFY GOvE ERNMENT
 IN NIGHT PARADES
Lenine and ProaI Are Most ReVered in Mexican
 City

VERA CRUZ. Mexico, March 24,- (By Associated Press. )-Premier Lem inc. of soviet Russe. and Heron Proal, Gautemalan are the two protagonis of bolshevism most re- vered in this city. an acknowledged hotbed of radiealism and red activity in the republic of Mexico. Proal is an agltator who is now in jail here awaiting trial, charged with melting riot and rebellion against federal forces some six months ago. He Is hailed as martyr. and from his prison cell continues to direct his eX tremlst campaign, which includes open revolt against government as minor proposition.
 Radicalism in it's raw state may be seen here every night when paraders varying in number from 300 to 3,O0U march through the streets, singing revolutionary songs, jeering at spec tators on the sidewalk. yelling for Lenine, Trotzky and Proal, and in general defying either city or state government to halt them. All traffic Is stopped and for at least an hour each night downtown Vera Cruz is turned over to the bolshevists.
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 Parades Spectacular.
 The nightly parade is a showy and spectacular thing. Far down the street the marchers are heard com ing. band blaring. voices raised in song. They round the corner and one sees an eXpanse of flaming ban ners-all of them solid red and bear ing legends of adherence to bolshe- vism and extolling Lenine and Proal. Men. women and children join in carrying the banners, and at regular intervals the music ceases to permit the captains to lead their cohorts in loud "vivas" for things radical.
 By day, the evidences of bolshe- vism are only slightly less marked hundreds of houses bedeckcd with red flags. The pictures of Lenine and Proal in red frames and encir cled oy flaming banners are often found above the doors. Many en- thusiasts have painted the entire house in red. For the most part these decorations indicate that the inmates belong to the Tenants Union" which several months ago decided that no rents would be paid in view of the fact that the landlords re- fused to reduce them to a figure ac- ceptable to the union It is said that there are a least 5000 members of the union here who have paid no rent for months. The question has been checked up to President Obre son who has indicated that he is not sympathetic with the tenants.
 Every branch or the Worklng class represented in this city is unionized. A former stevedore is now mayor of Vera Cruz. The stevedores are the strongest, and recently sue ceeded in tying up port activities by q strike. causing immense losses to the city. Strikes and boycott are constant threats here. Demands are i.,ade on merchants and industries and if they are not met, no matter how unreasonable. labor refuses to work or buy. Numerous employers have cosed down shop and. accord ing to statement made to the cor respondent by reliable source, Vera Cruz business has decreased 70 per cent within the past year.
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 Merchants Organize.
 To meet the situation the mer- chants of the city are attempting counter organization. An effort is be- ing made to secure the signatures of APO business men to protective agreement. Under the plan. if exorbi tant demands are made on any mem- Der and strike or boycott is threat ened all of the affiliated members would close their places of business. It is recognized that. the only way