Evening star., 1947-02-09


bedeviling Latin America. Its progr
Viewed as a whole, communis
than in the United States. 1t ex-
erts more influence in the southern
republics than ever was exercised
by offshoots of European Naziism
ard fascism. Communist parties
operate openly in 13 countries. In
three others there are leftist parties
that support the Kremlin's policies
Luiz Carlos Prestes, Brazilian party
boss, estimated recently that the
hard core" OF militant members
numbers 800, ,000-about 10000 in
Brazil, $4,000 in Chile, 10000 in
Cuba, 25,0O0 in Mexico and $4,000
in Argentina.
The total seems a reasonable
estimate, but some of the component
figures may be exaggerated. For
example, most sources give the
Mexican strength as from 5000 to
$4,000 party members; the larger
figure is that OF the party's secre-
tary- general. In free elections
Communist candidates could be ex-
pected to poll from three to four
times the number OF party men,
bers, or roughly per cent of the
total ballots cast. The best they
have done in the United States was
a quarter Of l per cent.
Actual party membership is q
faulty gauge of party effectiveness
in fact, may be misleading, as the
strength of the fellow-traveling
groups is difficult to guess. These
would include many labor unions,
cultural societies and racial move
ments such as pan-Slavism. The
latter, similar to the old pan-Ger-
manism, is directed toward several
hundred thousand European emil
grants now in Argentina, Brazil and
Chile.
The Communist leaders are hard
working, sagacious natives schooled
for the most part in Moscow or
Paris. Their tactics vary little from
those familiar to North Americans
and Europeans. The old cliches,
however, have the aspect of revel-
alton in many backward areas of
South America, where a hungry
disjointed feudal civilization exists
Many parts of Latin America con-
stitute an economic wilderness, en-
bryonic agriculturally and industri-
ally, menaced by imitation and
without much hope for self improve
ment.
These factors, plus the acknowl-
edged ability of the Communist
leaders, plus the lack in many in
stances Of an acceptable alternative
way OF reaching commendable Com
munist goals, add up to one of the
many knotty problems that may be
expected to plague Secretary o1
State Marshall. The reason fol
apprehension lies In the fact thai
Latin American communism is frs
of all anti-United States.
1t is opposed to whatever the
United States attempts; it supports
Soviet Russian foreign policy.
There appear. to be no direct ties
between Moscow and Latin Ameri-
can Communists. There is rumo1
but no credible evidence that the
politburo distributes any slush funds
Not Strong Financially.
Despite their growth the Com
munists still are much weaker eco
nomically than were the Nazis. Ar
gentine followers of Hitler built
up little industrial empire. Sixty
German firms now being taken over
by the Argentine Government are
valued at 80 million dollars. Ideo-
logically and organizationally, how
ever, the Communists are more
powerful. The native leadership, as
opposed to that of expatriated Ger
mans, Is a vital factor in their
success.
Before the death in 1945 of Con-
stantin A. Oumansky, Soviet Am
bassador to Mexico, Communist
Latin American policy was said to
emanste from Mexico City. The
principal sources now appear to be
Mexico City, Havana, Rio de Janeirc
and Buenos Aires. The important
hemisphere leaders are Prestes ir
Brazil, Bias Roca in Cuba and the
ouzzling Vicente Lombardo Toledanc
in Mexico.
Lombardo Toledano is the boss o1
the Latin American Federation oi
Labor (CTAL), which claims 4,000,.
900 members, and of its largest unit
he Mexican Labor Federation, which
claims 750 nm members Tom ha rdr