Evening star., 1947-10-23
Chi|e's Military Law
Extended 10 Foresta|I
NewCommunist Strike
BY the Assoeiatsd Press

Military laW-already in opera.
ton over Chile's strike-boune
coal fields-was extended b,
government decree today to in.
clude portions of four nitrate
and copper producing province!
in what was described as a move
to block a Communist strike
plan."
The decree, which enables thu
government to take action under
extraordinary powers voted by Con.
gress IN August, was announced last
nlght-24 hours after Chile broke
diplomatic relations with Russia
and Czechoslovakia.
Under the edict, sections of Tara
paca, Antofagasta and Atacama In
Northern Chile and O'Higgins ir
Central Chile were classified as
emergency zones.
Police continued wholesale
roundup of Communist leaders
throughout Chile, with the an
nouncement that 200 already have
been seized and that warrants have
been isued for 300 more charged
with instigating a rebellion among
Chilean coal miners"
Strike Declared Broken.
Chile's coal fields We're tied up in
what authorities described as a rev
olutionary" strike which began Oc-
tober 4. The government said it
broke that strike last Friday.
The Conservative newspaper Di-
ario Ilustrado said four members
OF the Communist Party's Central
Committee were arrested in the
roundup and added that police were
hunting for all As members of the
committee-oficially charged with
ordering the rebellion in the
Schwager coal mine, where dyna-
mite was used Tuesday to stop troops
sent into the mine to oust sit-down
strikers.
The workers finally were evacu-
ated from the mine after the use
OF tear gas by troops. Miners were
reported still occupying the shaft
IN the nearby Lirquen pit, however
valparaiso police reported the ar
rest OF so Communist leaders. Police
also arrested the staff of the Com
munist daily Ell Siglo. which failed
10 appear yesterday.
Outlawing of Party Denied.
Authoritative informants hinted
tnat the government would call on
congress to lift the parliamentary
immunity Of any Communist Depu-
Ties or Senators who may have been
involved in the strike.
These sources denied, however
tnat the government had anv in.
tention OF outlawing the Communist
Party in Chile.
One informant said the govern
ment had SUFFICIENT background" on
Czech diplomats in Chile to Justify"
the break with Czechoslovakia. He
added that the ending of relations
with Czechoslovakia, as well as Rus
sla and Yugoslavia, cut the Soviets
on from any direct contact with
Chile.
In Prague the Czech Foreign Min
lstry said Chile's severance of rela-
tlons with Czechoslovakia was going
against "decency between nations
ana cannot be conducive to the
consolidation of peace
In Londan the Soviet monitor
quoted the Soviet news agency Tass
as saying Chile. by severing diplo-
matte relations with Russia, was
following along the same Fascist
path as the government of Brazil"
The semiofhcial newspaper Los
servatore Romano said in Vatican
City that Brazil's action in breaking
with Russia ALSO could be followed
by many other tin-American re-
publics."
The Yugoslav Legation announced
IN Buenos Aires last night that
legation counselor Dalibor Jakasa
who recently was expelled from
Chile, left Argentina Tuesday aboard
the italian steamer Sestriere for
Genoa.
The legation said Andrej Cunja
diplomat expelled with
still was in Argentina, but
refused to state where.