Evening star., 1946-01-29
6O-Day Siege Imposed
By Chile After Riot
Of Santiago Workers

|0f Santiago Workers
Ry the Associated Press.
| SANTIAGO, Chile, Jan. 29.-
The Chilean cabinet was reshuf
fled today as the governmen
prepared for showdown with
labor by imposing strict censor
ship and a 60-day state of sieg,
after a bloody riot yesterday be-
tween police and labor demon.
strators in which persons were
killed and IT injured.
Mounted troops patrolled Santiago
streets early this morning and the
government ordered all soldiers, OF,
leave to report to their barracks ano
hold themselves ready for duty.
Two changes were made in the
cabinet, giving military men new
posts of authority, and some quar-
tiers predicted other appointments
would be forthcoming.
During the rioting, which took
place in the heart Of this city, Ber
nardo Ibanez, general secretary OF
the Chilean Workers Federation
grasped a microphone and an
nounced that general nation wide
strike would be called Immediately
to protest the action of the police.
One of those killed was women
Six women and five policemen were
known to be among those wounded
The condition of 25-of the wounded
Twas reported as serious. Some esti-
mates placed the number of dead al
IL, but only five deaths could be
confirmed.
After the fighting the demon.
strators, members of the Workers
Federation, paraded through ths
lstreets with banners dipped ir
blood.
The government blamed the out.
break on extremist agitation" but
the Workers Federation quickly is.
sued an answering blast in which
lit placed the responsibility on the
government police.
Crowd Battles Police.
The fighting broke out after po-
lice had asked speakers addressing
mass meeting in downtown Plaza
Bulnes to moderate their attacks
against the government.
A struggle ensued and shots were
fired. The police, some mounted
and armed with sabers and hand
clubs, clashed with the crowd. The
crowd fought back.
Gradually the two factions drew
apart, aligning themselves On op.
posite sides Of O'Higgins avenue
and the fighting finally subsided.
While ambulances were picking
UP the dead and wounded mem.
bers of the crowd soaked unior
banners, shirts and newspapers ir
pools Of blood on the pavement
and hoisted the dripping emblem.
taloft on poles.
Some one started singing tn,
"Internationale" and the Grove
Joined in.
The demonstrators formed a pa
rade five blocks long. headed b,
persons carrying the banners, an,
marched past newspaper and gov
ernment offices. Among the blood
flags were some calling for the elec
J tion of Elias Mafertte, Communis
candidate for President.
! Cabinet Session Called.
, Vice President Alfredo Duhald,
. who is acting as chief executive be
cause of the illness of Presiden
Juan Antonio Rios, called an i'm
mediate cabinet meeting to impos
, the state of siege.
!, Duhalde, who had been Ministe
, Of the Interior before he took owe
, as Vice President January II. quickl
, appointed Vice Admiral Vincent
Merino Bielich as his successor a
interior head.
; Air Brigadier Manuel Tovaria!
head of the Chilean air force, be
came Minister of Public Works an
Communications, replacing Eduard
Frei, who resigned shortly after tn
riots.
The mass meeting originally wa
: called in protest against the higl
cost of living and the recent actiol
of the government in dissolvin
labor syndicates in northern nitrat
fields. The government had main
tanned that these syndicates ha,
participated in illegal strikes.
After the shooting, the Worker.
Federation asserted that the polio
!, had been responsible for "the dealt
OF IL persons and the wounding O
hundreds in a massacre" of workers
Ibanez also issued a statemen
saying the fighting began between
mounted policemen and a man bear
ing a union banner. He said tn
union had permit for the meetin
and charged that the attitude o
the police had been hostile from
the start.
! The Workers Federation voted las
, Saturday for 24-hour strike effec
+ tive Wednesday, in protest agains
the governments order dissolvin
f the nitrate unions.
! ! Actress Awarded $1,000
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 20 Dr..