Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-05-08
Brazil ? oIice Paddock
|445 Communists ! S; Clubs
JAS Party Is 0uiIawed
Nv The Asxneinisd Prss.

nlo LIE JfANElftO, May o.
The Brazilian government
cracked down hard on the Com
munist Party today, with federal
police and troops padlocking AS
Communist clubs or cells to en-
force a decision by the supreme
electoral tribunal outlawing the
party in Brazil. !
The tribunal approved, by a 3-to-2
vote last night, q government petit
Ition asking that the Brazilian Com
|munist Party-one of the largest in
the Western Hemisphere be de-
cleared illegal and closed. In the
last election, in January, the party
|polled about 100000 votes,
It elected II deputies and one
Senator in the federal Congress,
Is members of this capitals So
member City Council, go members
lof various state legislatures and
helped to elect the governors of
eight Brazilian states.
The Senator, Luis Carlos Prestes,
who is secretary general of the Bra
lillian Communist Party, cabled all
the party's branches Immediately
latter yesterdays decision. ordering
them to obey the verdict calmly. He
said the decision would be appealed
to the Brazilian Supreme Court and
ANNOUNCED that the party's national
convention, scheduled for May Is in
Rio, had been postponed indefinitely.
But even as the tribunals judg-
ment was being announced, the
Communists suffered another stiff
blow. President Eurico Gaspar
Dutra suspended the Communist
supported Brazil Workers Confed-
Grafton and all labor unions affiliated
with it for period of six months.
The presidential decree accused
the suspended unions of "provok-
ing among the workers frictions and
agitations which spread themselves
harmfully to production centers,
disturbing the workers output and
order"
Government interventors are to
be chosen to administer the unions
pending new labor elections.
Clubs, Cells Being Closed.
Six hundred agents of the fed
eral police acted promptly to close
the party's clubs and cells after the
electoral tribunals decision, and
troop patrols moved into strategic
areas to prevent demonstrations.
Gen. Lima Camara, federal police
chief, said the entire nation had
received the decision calmly and
Communist leaders said they doubted
that any violent action would be
undertaken. They expressed belief
the party's discipline would pre-
vent any incidents pending the pro-
jected appeal to the Supreme Court
These leaders referred sarcastical-
ly to the decision as "the first step
for Dutra's continuation In power
like (former President Getulio)
Vargas"
eve are awaiting calmly the final
decision of Brazilian JUSTICE" SEN
ator Prestes declared. For the dom
inant classes the Brazilian Commu-
mist Party already has been ami
hilated' many times, but it is still
alive"
Party Claims 100000 Members.
Newspapers in Rio de Janeiro
predicted that the decision would
cost the Communists 40 per cent of
their following. The party has
claimed 10000 members.
The Brazilian constitution does
not specify what status an office
holder shall have after his party is
abolished, and it was believed the
situation of the IT deputies and Sen
ator Prestes would be clarified by
the congressional Committee on
Constitution and Justice.
1t was believed the Communists
faced these alternatives:
!. To turn over their well-organ-
lied party to some smaller group.
2. To organize new party under
different name and with ostensibly
different detectives.
8. To go underground, as they did
from 1922 to 1945.
Three Support Decision.
The tribunals decision, based on
a government petition filed three
months ago alleging that the Com
munist Party violated a constitu-
tional ban on political organizations
whose program of action is con-
trary to the democratic regime"
was supported by Justices Jose No.
guerra, Rocha Lagoa and Candieo
Lobo. Justices Jose -Sa Filho and
Ribeiro Dacosta opposed.
The Communists have 10 days to
appeal, after the decision is pub
lished officially.
ll~. d.