Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-29
THE RED MENACE.
A LMOST at the same time that an
n alleged communistic plot to de-
a stroy American airships was
i being revealed in the United
Gk.N1r fzaaI -

A LMOST at the same time CnaC an
~ alleged communistic plot to de-
"A stroy American airships was
4 i being revealed in the United
States the local authorities Of
Guayaquil, the largest city Of Ecuador
made public the discovery of a commu-
nistic scheme to disturb domestic order
in that South American republic.
The same day that the American
press published the news Of Paul F
KasSay's arrest In Akron, Ohio, charged
with an attempt to destroy the worlds
largest dirigible, at present under con-
struction for the United States Navy, q
cable report from Guayaquil announced
the apprehension of several labor lead
ers, said to be the promoters of a vast
communistic plan in which no other
than members of the police force Of the
city were implicated.
The report said that several members
Of the police corps had been discharged
and placed under arrest, while an in
vestigation had been ordered to ascer-
tain the scope Of the plot Two of the
leaders arrested, Hermel Quevedo and
RoSendo Naula. had returned from Rus
STA not long before, where they had
ccmmunistic activities.
The case Is not new. In the last four
or five years the so-called red menace
has been giving many headache to
Latin American statesmen. Particularly
during the last few months, the govern
ments Of Cuba, Salvador, Honduras
Mexico. Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, b.
livia, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay
have denounced at one time or another
the existence of communiStic elements
working among the native Indians, the
laboring classes, the students and the
army for the propagation OF revolution
airy ideas.
AS a Sunday school teacher would
say, the red dragon which is threatening
the Western Hemisphere seems to have
its head on the northern lands of Saxon
origin and It's tail on the southernmost
points Of Latin America.
TWO PIONEERS.
Scarcely q month has elapsed since
one of the most audaciouS attempts
made by communistic elements in Latin
America took place in the Republic Of
Paraguay. A group of conmunistic adj
herentS assaulted the garrison at Villa
Encarnacion, in the northern section of
Paraguay, with arms imported from the
Argentine border, and for few hours
held control of the city.
overcome by the government forces dis
closure was made that its leaders had
intended to make it the first chapter
in a nationwide revolution which was
to result in the establishment of a
Paraguayan Sovietic Republic. So. at
least, press reports announced, adding
that the first president Of the proposed
communistic state had already been
selected in the person of DR.. oscar
Creydt, the well known Paraguayan
agttator.
After capturing villa Encarnacion
the insurgents planned to march on the
capital and attack the military school
and arsenal at Asuncion. From there
to the presidential palace was only one
step. UNFORTUNATELY for them, they were
not given an opportunity to take that
step, for the revolt was crushed soon
after its outbreak in Villa Encarnacion,
and its leaders had to fee across the
border in q rush most unbecoming to
future executives Of Paraguay.
Thus came to an abrupt end this
communistic adventure In Paraguay,
just as q similar one had ended in the
neighboring Republic Of Bolivia sew
eral months before. In June OF last
year Roberto HinojoSa--an adven-
turer and self-appointed leader Of
comHnunistic elements in Bolivia--at-
tackled by surprise the border town of
Villazon with the aid of 100 men, put
the local authorities In jail, took over
the funds deposited in the local bank
and proclaimed himself the new Presi-
dent of Bolivia.
He had time to write only one decree
and in 1t he made known that those
who helped the movement to succeed
in the rest Of the country would be re-
warded with the cancellation Of their
personal debts, which would become OBJ
solete under o conmunistic regime. A
tempting proposal, indeed, but In spite