The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-07-25
By GUMES.

Inc social structure OF Guate-
mala has change very little in rela-
ton with that which it had when it
was colony of Spain. The trade
union and mutualist organizations of
half a century ago still exist. The
workers and artisans were able to
organize only for mutual aid. They
fought for no more than the juridical
recognition of certain rights and for
these only by legal means and with
out attacking in the slightest degree
the constituted social regime.
These organizations did not cease
to exist even during the most de-
spotic regimes the Guatemalan peo-
pie have suffered. During the %
years of the bloody tyranny of Es-
trada Cabrera, the organizations,
"The Workers Future" the "Arti-
sans Center" the "Mutualist Cru
sade" and others, did no more than
practice mutual aid, and that def
GENTLY, accommodating themselves
to the dominant power.
Always a Colony.
Guatemala has never ceased being
a colony. 1t was colony of Spain
for three centuries, and after having
obtained its political independence it
was conquered economically by Brit
ish Imperialism. The principal eco
nomic resources of the country were
monopolized by British capitalists,
and the independent government
itself was mortgaged to British i'm
perialism by means of big loans that
have never been paid even to this
day, because the state income is
enough only to pay the interest on
these loans.
The pressure of British imperial
ism on the various governments
which have ruled the destiny of Qua
temala has eliminated in the dis
membering of the national territory.
President Cabrera presented to
the British Grown one of the rich
est regions of the country, Belize, in
exchange for a Sword of honor"
This zone has been colonized by Ne
gro slaves from Jamaica and from
Africa, for the exploitation of coal
mines and timber, and it continues
being actually an English colony.
Meanwhile, United States imperi-
alism was conquering little by little
other natural resources not yet ex-
plotted by the English and, in this
manner, initiated its penetration in
Guatemala, which has carried as it's
consequence the struggle between
the two imperialisms. Yankee impe-
rialism took account of the fact that
it would not be able to triumph with
out having in its hands the political
control, and therefore aided series
of coup d'etats led sometimes by the
Liberal" and sometimes by the
Conservative" national political
parties.
U. S. Imperialism Enters.
The movement of 1871, known as
the Reform" was no more than an
audacious stroke of North American
imperialism supporting the Conser-
vative Party. After that date was
constructed the interoceanic railway
by the North American company,
"The International Railway of Cen
trail America" and the fight began
for control of the banks and the ex-
ploitation of sugar, coffee and cot
ton.
This struggle could not be directed
satisfactorily to North American i'm
perialism by the various govern
ments that followed that of the
"Reformer," Justine Rufino Barrios.
1t was necessary to establish an iron
dictatorship-under no matter which
party-that would favor the con-
solidation of American Imperialism
and the displacement Of British i'm
perialism.
Such dictatorship was exercised
by the government of Estrada Ca
brera. During the % years which
it lasted the United Fruit Company
and the Cuyamel Company obtained
the concessions of the eastern
banana zones.
Immediately after the world war
all the resources that had been in
the hands Of German and British i'm
perialisms passed automatically into
the hands Of North American impe-
rialism. The government of Estrada
Cabrera, following the orders Of the
White House, had declared war on
Germany and the Central Powers.
The governments which followed
that of Cabrera have been, in fact,
agents of North American imperial