The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-13
World Front
! By HARRY CANNES
Strikes in Colombia
Secretary of War Acts
Wholesale Arrests


Wholesale Arrests
A SERIES of strikes have
II been going on in Brazil.
Colombia, Mexico, Porto Rico,
Cuba, and many other Latin
America countries that never
even reach the light Of day
IN the U. S. capitalist press.
For instance, when 10000 ooffes
pickers in Colombia go out on
strike, that's not news in the Wall
Street press.
We are fortunate to receive the
following interesting letter from
Colombia, written by an American
worker who has lived in that coun-
try for some time and knows the
conditions
AT the moment, two great strikes
shake at the very roots of this SEMI
feudal economy. The banana work.
ers and the coffee workers are on
strike! The banana workers, en-
ployees of native producers as well
as of the Magdalena Fruit Co.-that
is, the United Fruit Co-are on
strike the second time in two
months A 100 per cent solid strike
in December, fitting celebration of
the sixth anniversary of the mas
sacre of the banana workers, ended
in an agreement signed by the pro-
ducers and the Minister of War as
the workers representative
AT a reformist- organized Assem-.
bly, of the workers, this gentleman
had been elected by a majority of
one vote over Adam Ortiz, militant
banana worker. But after this set
Element the workers discovered that
the producers openly and flagrantly
violated the terms of the agreement.
Their representative the Minister
of War, whose authority and means
are unlimited on certain occasions,
did nothing to enforce the carrying
out of the pact.
"Reformist proposals for arbitra-
ton were swept aside; a second
strike was called A militant lead
ership under the direction of the
Communist Party of Colombia was
set up. The government, member
of which signed the pact, answered
the strike to enforce it, by declaring
it illegal It Immediately arrested
Adam Ortiz-six months in the
penal colony of Goapira, on charges
of vagrancy and subversive activi-
ties. Vagrancy = although Ortiz
works his own parcel of land. The
newspapers print nothing of this
strike. They we're equally silent
about the victorious banana strike
of Costa Rica, afraid lest the work
ers follow this example of militant
struggle. And they are.
THE coffee pickerS are women.
Thirty thousand of them are on
strike. Out of total expectation
Of 1913 million pesos in 1894, coffee
covered 81 millions. 1t is the basis
of the Colombian economy. This is
a militant strike. Already there
have been bloody clashes between
the strikers and scabs, strikers and
police. Faced with such determine
ton on the part of the workers, the
producers have decided to suspend
the work. This strike has also been
declared "fuera de la ley"-illegal.
And it also is being directed by the
Communist Party. Workers organ
izations of that region are MOBILIZE
ing to aid the strike
six years ago it was conserva-
tive government that murdered
1000 banana workers, and today it
is a Liberal government that de-
clares these strikes illegal, jails their
leaders, and sends the armed forces
to occupy the regions.
There is terror in the liberal
republic of Colombia. Adam Alvarez,
organizer of a peasant league, is in
jail on framed-up charges of mur-
der. Another peasant organizer, on
charges of robbery. Victor Merchan,
Communist Councilman, is finishing
an 18-month term in the penal coll
onies, on charges of "vagrancy."
Thirty Indians, militant members Of
the Peasant League of Natagaima,
are in jail also accused of muir
der" In Cucuta, near the Venezue-
Ian frontier. scene of rivalry be-
tween the Royal Dutch Shell and
the Standard Oil Companies, terror
assumes mass proportions A Co
lombo- Venezuelan war to settle the
question for them, is not impossible.
And with the Colombian. govern
ment spending 1872 of As million
budget for ornaments, possibilities
become probabilities.
THE U. S. and Japan. are in
sharp tussle over markets here. In
1928, japanese expectations here to-
tailed 10000 pesos. In 1884, over
four millions"
A BOOK recently published in
n Poland accurately reflects the
purpose Of Nazi Goering's visit to
that country few weeks ago. Writ
ten by the well-known Polish Jour-
nalist, Ladislaus Studnitski, the
book entitled THE European Sys-
tenn and Poland" advocates the
partition of the Soviet Union, with
Japan taking the Far East, Turkes-
tan and the Caucasus. The author 1
advocates war alliance with fas-
cist Germany in order to achievs