Evening star., 1948-04-10
Colombian Army
Sends Escort to
U. S. Embassy
BY the Associated Press

Colombian Army forces with
tanks and motor trucks arrived
at the American Embassy ir
downtown riot-wrecked Bogots
in mid-morning to remove
United States personnel to other
sections of the city.
This was reported to Undersec.
retary of State Robert Lovett about
10 am. (EST) by Assistant Secre'
tary Norman Armour, who Is {
member of the United States dele.
CATION to the disrupted Inter-Amer'
lean Conference at Bogota.
Scores of delegation officials ane
Embassy and delegation staff mem
bers had been marooned in the En-
bassy and a nearby Office building
since midday yesterday-many
without food since yesterday!
breakfast.
Earlier. dispatches from Amer
lean correspondents said that nu-
merous fires broke out during th'
night in the building housing the
Embassy However. they were ex
tinguished and the Americans were
not menaced by the flames.
Phone Call Delayed Hour.
Mr.. Lovett put in a telephone cal
from his State Department Office to
Bogota shortly before am. today
and the connection was made in
about so minutes, he subsequently
told newsmen.
He reported that the Embassy staff
and delegation personnel were al
okay"
Secretary of State Marshall and
other ranking officials were reported
still at suburban residence where
they had been since yesterday. They
also were all right.
Much of Mr.. Armour's report here
paralleled dispatches from Ameri-
can correspondents in Bogota.
Mr.. Armour said that the Enba ssy
staff had brought under control a
fire in the mail wing of the Embassy
which had caught in the middle OF
the night from a flaming warehouse
next door.
20 Blocks Sealed Off.
News dispatches said 1.-The airmail
postoftce" in the building was
burned out. They made no mention
of damage to the Embassy Offices.
Meanwhile, fire had threatened q
building across the street housing
Embassy cable personnel and other
employees. The flames broke out or
a lower floor The employees elected
to fight the fire and they put it out
Mr.. Armour reported that early
this morning three Colombian SOL
diers showed up at the embassy
Their main job appeared to be te
drive away rioters and fire on any
looters who tried to carry off sup
plies scattered in the streets. Larger
forces of government troops were
reported to have sealed off an area
of about 20 blocks in the city.
The dispatch of troops to evac-
uate embassy personnel evidently
was taken on direct orders of the
ministry of war after consultation
with United States officials. Mr.
Armour told Mr.. Lovett that the
minister sent trucks. troops and
tanks at 10 am. to get the barri-
caded staff out of the embassy and
deliver individuals to their quarters
r In Contact With Marshall.
Mr.. Armour and others in the
Embassy were in constant COM
munication with Gen. Marshall and
his group at the suburban residence
The American newspapermen, with
normal communications blocked, kept
a stream of dispatches flowing into
the State Department.
= The 10th one, relating the scene
as dawn broke in Bogota, brought
the news that series of fires in the
Embassy building had been overcome
without danger to the Americans
Full details of the fires were lacking
1t told of IAN almost ominous
silence" after dawn today over the
looted downtown section of Bogota
Crowds Disperse without Force.
The dispatch said:
no. The crowds dispersed in the early
morning hours without any show
of force by the government in the
city in general.
At s am. after dawn, few per-
cons remained on the streets in
the downtown section, but they are
sort of visiting already looted stores
to see if anything is left to take
home.
Strangely, however, no troops or
police appeared on the streets al
daylight despite quiet. They ap.
parently are still confined to the
presidential palace area"
The numerous fires in the build
ing where the embassy is located
occurred on the ground floor and
were put out"
Persons in the embassy quarters
remained throughout with none OF
(See WASHINGTON, Page A-31