Evening star., 1949-11-20

the 1OD OF preserving OlOeI, tIic
most peaceful people on the
southern continent had attained q
new high in violence and blood
shed.
The intermittent civil war that
has been going on in Colombia
for nearly i8 months differs IN
several respects from the internal
strife that has occurred In SO
many neighboring countries in the
past few years. 1t has not been
a struggle between the military
or any strong man and the peo-
ple. In fact, until arson and muir
der reached an unprecedented
crescendo the military had been
kept severely in the background,
Social Background
It has been a battle between
two powerful civilian factions. two
bitterly opposing political parties
the Conservative and Liberal
for supremacy in government
And unlike recent political fights
in other sections of Latin America
this one has not centered in the
cities. Except for the mob upris-
ing in the city of Bogota that FOL
lowed the assassination OF the
leftist politician. Jorge Eliecer
Gaitan, during the Pan American
Conference in April Of last year.
the worst Of the Colombian en-
counters have taken place in the
small towns and rural communi-
ties.
To understand fully this tragic
state of affairs it is necessary tc
keep in mind something OF the
social as well as the political back
ground out of which it grew. An
almost bottomless chasm separates
the masses of the people in Co.
lombia from the so-called upper
classes. Nowhere in the heml-
sphere do the rich and afnuent
live more sumptuously, nor IS any
privileged group in the American
world more widely Travelled and
cultivated. At social GATHERINGS
YOU find them talking about poet
nv. painting or philosophy instead
of banking and industrial activities
upon which their way OF life is
based. It is often said that you
could not throw a pebble into any
group of the elite OF Bogota WIN
out hitting poet.
But most of the working classes
live a grim and sordid life.
Conservatives Ousted
No two political groups in the
world are animated by such bit
terness and contempt for one an
other as the Colombian Conserva-
tives and Liberals. The bulk OF the
Conservative Party. formerly the
dominant party in the country, Is
made UP of wealthy landowners,
coffee growers, bankers and real
estate owners in the big cities. IL
is also supported by many OF the
small farmers and cattle ranchers,
much as the farmers and STOCK
raisers Of our Middle West USED
to adhere faithfully to the con-
servative Republican Party.
Although their influence contin-
ued strong, the Conservatives iost
actual control of the government
some 20 years ago when a nrll-
liant statesman, DR.. Enrique Oiaya
Herrera, rose to leadership In the
Liberal Party. Olaya was able to
weld the laboring and white-coi-
lar classes, the shopkeepers in the
cities, the peasants OF the VII
laees and rural districts, along
with professors, students, doctors
and others of the middle classes
into such a militant and deter
mined political movement that ne
was literally swept into the office
of president, along with a Liberal
Congress.
The Liberals held onto both
branches of the government until
1946, when left-wing elements,
under the leadership Of Eliecer
Gaitan, split the party wide open
and q Conservative won the presi-
dency, although the majority IN
Congress remained Liberal. Even
tually Gaitan. one OF the most
effective rabble rousers Latin
America has produced In recent
years, succeeded in gaining com
plete control Of both wings OF the
Liberal organization. BY ruthless
cunning and demagogic preachings
he created such fanatical loyalty
among his followers that when he
was murdered in restaurant IN
downtown Bogota. they went mad
and laid waste the heart OF their
own capital city.
Conservative officials and politi-
clans, along with all who were
suspected Of supporting them. be-
came the hunted prey Of the en-
ragged Kaitanistas. But their par
ticular wrath was directed at For
eign Minister Laureano Gomez,
who was and still is the boss OF
the Conservative Party. The min
lister himself succeeded in eluding
them and slipped out of the coun-
try into temporary exile in Franco
Spain, but they sacked and burned
his palatial home as well as the
Conservative newspaper, Ell Siglo,
of which he was the publisher.
Gomez Returns
With Gaitan out of the picture
moderate Liberals regained NOM
inal leadership of their party.
Such men as Dario Echandia and
others joined patriotically with
President .Ospina Perez and the
moderate Conservatives in restor-
ing order and carrying on the af-
fairs Of the nation. In subse-
quent congressional elections the
Liberals retained control Of both
= u IL