Evening star., 1948-01-08
Rio Police Battle Reds
After Passage Of Law
0usting Communists
BY the Assoeioted Press

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 81
Police fought today with Com
munists attempting to publish
an edition of their newspaper In
the wake of congressional &C
ton withdrawing the last vestige
of legality from the Brazilian
Communist Party.
Four Communists were wounded.
Police broke into the printing plant,
using tear gas bombs and machine
guns, when workers refused to halt
presses printing an edition covering
the action by the Chamber OF
Deputies last night stripping Brazil
ian Communists, the largest Com
munist Party in the Western Hemi-
sphere, of all elective posts.
The edition was being printed In
the plant formerly used by the Com
munists newspaper Tribuna Popular,
which was suspended for its attacks
on the government during the de-
bate on the bill to oust Communist
legislators.
Dutra Signs Measure.
President Eurica Gaspar Dutra
signed the anti-C Communist bill into
law soon after the Chamber of
Deputies acted. Communists affected
included senator, IA deputies, 80
state legislators and Is members OF
the Rio de Janeiro City Council.
The Senate had passed the bhl
previously.
The outburst came when Police
Inspector Fredgard Martins sought
to enforce an order to close the
newspaper for Is days. He was
refused admittance to the plant
and returned later with 10 police.
The workers were ordered to open
the door.
Pistol shots from within answered
the door. The 10 policemen fired
pistols into the door as riot sirens
shrieked. A carload of 40 red
capped shock police rolled up,
armed with tommyguns. They
raced toward the door under fire
and sprayed the shop with bullets.
Then they blasted holes in the
grating, through which they shot
tear gas, nauseating gas and
asphyxiation gas. The Communists
inside hurled incendiary bombs and
hand grenades at the doorway, but
none landed outside.
The gas took effect swiftly, and
soon 20 Communists staggered out.
The police, now numbering about
100, arrested them as they emerged
after their f1ve-hour siege.
Party Outlawed Last May.
The Communist Party itself, which
claims from 10000 to 100000 men,
bers and which polled about 100000
votes in State and local elections
last January, was outlawed May Z
by a 3-to-2 ruling Of the supreme
ELECTORAL tribunal. That ruling did
not affect the status of office hold
ers previously elected.
Brazil broke off diplomatic rela-
tions with the Soviet Union on Oc-
tober q because of articles in the
Russian press attacking the Presl-
dent and the Brazilian Army.
The Chamber of Deputies ap-
proved the new law, l81 to "a, at
the end of one of the most turbulent
legislative sessions in Brazilian his
tory.
Three deputies pulled guns on
Communists in the chamber. but
did not fire. Fist fights broke out.
Police clashed with mobs inside
the chamber, and there was such
turmoil outside that police almost
had a riot on their hands before
ouelIing the disturbance.
Not Every Communist Hit.
The new measure will not reach
every Communist in office, despite
its terms, since in the January
elections the Communists exchanged
their voting strength for political
favor from other parties In some
states.
Notable was the case of the small
Progressive Party in the state OF
Sac Paulo, which elected a Pro-
gressive governor with the aid Of
Communist votes. The governor
later disowned the Communists, but
two Communists have seats IN the
Chamber of Deputies from Sac
Paulo-as Progressives-under the
alliance.