Evening star., 1940-03-03
By WILLIAM ID. PATTERSON.

3AAAS 40 ACe@AOCu dS CCItAlU UO CUlCTSC
from the campaign because all the
candidates express less revolution
ary programs than Cardenas.
Political meetings attended by
thousands of citizens In every Sec
ton testify how deeply the struggle
around this issue has stirred Mexico
Spokesman Of the government and
of various political factions have
asserted publicly that the struggle
can be resolved only with bloodshed
not with votes. President Cardenas
recently declared there could be
no revolution and that the people
were strongly behind his program
The campaign has become 80 in.
tense in recent weeks that:
Reports Of preparations for ar
armed revolution have circulated
persistently:
Several attempts have been re.
ported on the life of the principal
anti-government candidate, Gen
Juan Andrea Almazan;
The federal attorney general has
charged formally that associates OF
another independent aspirant, Gen
Joaquin Amaro, were plotting ia
overthrow the government;
Assassination Plots Charxed.
The ofncial government candidate,
Gen. Manuel AvilA Camacho. has
been accused Of sponsoring assassi-
nation attempts against Gen. Al
mazan;
Federal senators and deputies have
charged Almazan was conspirine
with the Catholic Church and q
United States oil company to rise in
arms against the government: and
Frequent clashes between ad-
herents of the various factions have
produced a heavy quota of dead and
wounded.
Forty-nine-year-old Gen. Almazan
Is the outstanding opposition candi-
date. A strong -willed, hot-tempered.
forceful figure, he has won the SUD-
port OF Mexico's most important
Independent political parties and of
industrial, commercial and business
leaders.
There have been reports that the
other two Independent candidates
Gen. Amaro and Gen. Rafael San
chez Tapia, would unite behind
Amazan, but thus far they have not
done so.
Travelling hundreds of mile,
around the country, everywhere vel
coined by thousands of cheering
voters. Almazan has come to be re-
gamed as q strong threat to con-
tinuance Of the present government
through the accession to power OF
Avila Camacho.
Would Protect Investments,
throughout his speeches Alma
1an has sounded a conservative
theme. He has called for the in
naturalization of Mexico with the
assistance Of protected investments
OF American capital. He has at.
tackled radical and totalitarian in.
f1uences In Mexico, whether red
brown or black" BY implication
he has criticized the foreign oil ex-
preparation. though the seizure Is
not an important issue In the cam.
paign.
But his basic appeal has been
that stated in this campaign slogan,
Down with the imposition"
This slogan-elaborated in the
candidates speeches-refers to what
Almazanistas describe as the Mexi-
can Revolutionary party's Up. r. NJ
and labor unions imposition" on
the workers: the collective farming
systems imposition" on the peas
ants; the governments imposition"
through taxation. appropriation and
supervision on industry, business and
finance; and the schools "imposi-
ton" on the children and the family
through compulsory teaching Of So
cialistic doctrine.
The candidate, who fought in the
rebellion against the dictatorship OF
President Porfirio Diaz' and helped
overthrow President Madero, has
assailed Is "demagogic" the lead
ership Of Mexican Labor Chief Vi
.cente Lombardo Toledano and
urged "full cooperation between
labor and capitap' In the develop
ment of Mexico.
In turn Lombardo Toledano has
charged Almazan was the visible
leader Of an armed uprising" to
overthrow the Cardenas government
and prevent the election of Gen.
Manuel Avila Camacho."
Cardenas . Personal Friend.
Gen. Almazan's history of partici-
patton in Mexico's frequent revo-
lutions and the nations tradition
that governments sometimes change
as the result Of bullets, rather than
ballots, has given rise to much
speculation on whether he would
lead an armed revolt against Car
denas, q personal friend.
This speculation arises from the
fact Almazan's defeat at the polls,
despite the apparently tremendous
following he has attracted, is re-
garded rs . foregone conclusion.
Government machinery which
controls the casting Of the ballots
and which counts the votes-with-
out independent supervision-will
not fail. Almazan's supporters as
sert, to return q humping majority
for Avila Camacho. whatever the
actual vote may be.
Gen. Almazan, in various speeches,
has said, II shall know what to
do II the imposition thwarts the
honest will Of the people, Some
Of his closest aides have said
privately, I'VE don't expect to win
the election, but we shall win the
revolution"
Many Friends In Army.
| A large section Of the army Is
friendly to him. He built the model
military garrison ct Monterey. He
developed co-operatives at which
soldiers and their families could
buy necessities more cheaply than
In the market.
Many omcers have taken leaves
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