Evening star., 1938-05-11
President Fires at
Foes Attacking
Palace.
BATTLE HEAVIEST
In CENTER OF RIO
Hundreds Arrested in
AbOrtive Plot to
Topple Regime.

BACKGROUND
Brdsilian Fascist party, the In
tegrdliSt Action 1GdS 0utlaWed as
political organization after Vargas
coup of November 10, 1887, but in
March, this year, Rio de Janeiro
police repealed trustration OF plot
attributed to it for the assassination
OF President Vargas and seizure of
the government.
By the Associated Press.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil. May H..
President Getulio Vargas, pistol in
hand, personally led defenders of
Guanabara presidential palace today
as government forces swiftly smothered
a Fascist revolt against his authori-
tartan regime.
An undetermined number of rebels
were killed or wounded and hundreds
were arrested
The short-lived uprising, inspired
shirt faction, fiared and died in the
heart of the capital. where street dis
orders and futile assaults on public
buildings marked its ineffective course
Martial law was decreed, effective
at noon today
Authorities said Admiral Eduardo
Tavares had been arrested as a par
ticipant in the uprising.
Police Agents in Ranks.
Police declared they had advance
knowledge of the plotted rebellion and
said they had even slipped agents into
the ranks of the Integralists to follow
more closely progress of the scheme
to overthrow Vargas. totalitarian
ruler of Brazil since his seizure of
power in his coup of November 10, 1887.
A gun fight at the presidential
palace between besieging Fascists and
Vargas household staff highlighted
the abortive rebellion.
For 3i2 hours the heart Of the city
was in agitation, with traffic disrupted
and police detachments ranging the
danger zones, suppressing revolu-
tionaries.
Firing echoed through downtown
Rio de Janeiro The minister of war,
Gen. Eurico Gaspar Dutra, was wound
ed slightly.
The rebels also made an attack on
the Pan-American Airways airport
near the center of Rio de Janeiro, but
were beaten off.
Naval ArSenaIs Held Briefly.
The only brief measure OF success
the Greenshirts had was at the naval
arsenal, which was captured and held
briefly. Then a bayonet charge By
force of marines brought rebel sur
render at that point and the rebel
lion collapsed.
The war ministry stated that Plinio
Salgado, leader of the Integralists,
headed the rising, but that the actual
field commander was Belmiro Valde-
verde, member Of the high command
Of the party before its dissolution.
Salgado has been fugitive since
March l8, when the government an
nounced suppression of an 1ntegralist'
plot to assassinate Vargas and other
officials. The party was outlawed soon
after the November coup.
President Acts Quickly.
The Integralist thrust at Guanabara
Palace nearly succeeded Witnesses
said it might have worked had it not
been for the cool, quick action of the
President himself.
Disguised as soldiers and sailors,
the Integralists marched up to the
palace, posing as the regular relief
for the palace guard The retiring
guard apparently was deceived.
But the household staff, realizing
what was going on, notified the Presi-
dent shortly after the spurious guard
took over.
Vargas summoned aid from the
war, navy and police departments.
Then, arming mis- family and the pal
ace staff, he opened fire on the In
tegralists. Military and police relief
(See BRAZIL, Page A-4)