Evening star., 1936-03-05
GUARD Modified
IN SAN! Juan PLOT.
Held in Readiness Following
Arrest of Seven in Threat
Against U. S.
BY the Associated Press.


SAN JUAN, p. R., March 5.-The
National Guard units Of San Juan
were mobilized In their armories
against possible emergencies today as
the United States arrested seven
Nationalists on charges of recruiting
soldiers In a conspiracy to overthrow
the Government Of the United States
by force.
Chief Of the seven arrested was
Pedro Albizu Campos, Harvard grad
uate and leader of the movement
which seeks to overthrow United States
sovereignty and establish the territory
Of Puerto Rico as an independent
nation.
Albizu surrendered to United States
Marshal Draughon as soon as he
learned q warrant had been issued for
his arrest and the six other prisoners
also submitted to arrest without
protest.
Review ID Called ON.
A review of the Reserve Oficers'
Training Corps Of the University Of
Puerto Rico, scheduled for this after
noon, was called off. due to the non-
arrival of Inspector Gen. Collins of the
I'd Corps Area, who was to have in
spected the cadets.
Previously, Gov. Blanton Winship
had been urged not to attend the re-
view owing to the possibility of trouble
from student Nationalists.
District Police Chief Rafael Eche-
'varria, champion pistol marksman of
the island, has been on duty at La
Fortaleza for some days past, for the
first time since he served as personal
guard to former Gov. R. H. Gore.
The warrants for arrest also con-
tanned the charge of melting to insur-
rection.
Albizu appeared as chief defense
counsel for himself and the others.
declaring that the bail of $4,000 each
which Commissioner Julia fixed was
not based on constitutional or
economic grounds, but purely for
moral reasons.
The Nationalist leader said the de-
PENDANTS were fearless men of honor,
who were prepared to appear at any
time to face any charge, regardless of
the bail.
Nevertheless, the bail remained fixed
at $4,000.
The commissioner fixed March 10
as the date for the preliminary hear
ing.
Police Patrol Corridors.
While the seven prisoners were in
the Federal Building police patrolled
the upper corridors. They permitted
only a few persons to go upstairs.
A crowd gathered on the first floor
and outside.
Lawyers and others who were not
quickly identified were searched for
arms before they were permitted to
enter the court corridor.
Throughout the argument over the
size of the bond United States Attor-
ney Cecil Snyder and Albizu, fellow
alumni Of Harvard, addressed each
other as brother"
Marshal Draughon said that the
homes of all seven prisoners had been
sidered helpful to the prosecution
had been found.
He said he, himself, had searched
the Albizu home at Aguas Buenos
but that he had found no arms. Dep
uty marshals. he said, had found
black shirts, black caps Of the "over-
seas" type and uniforms of the ma
tionalist Cadets of the Republic" in
the homes of some of the other pris-
oners.
Some of the recruiting records,
correspondence, and other data be-
longing to the Nationalist party was
seized. Albizu stated to the COM
missioner that with one exception,
none of the defendants complained of
the search.
DR.. Cayetano Coll y Cuchi, former
speaker of the Legislature. was pres
ent at the hearing as one of the many
volunteer counsel for Albizu.