Evening star., 1950-07-30

WCoOClI Gu1O OSC, d411 o4oo AL SOoA
paigns are in progress.
Even in some countries ruled
by strong handed military govern
ments there have already been
demonstrations against the United
States. One outbreak took place
before our Embassy Offices in Cara
cas-, Venezuela. Crowds shouted
against Yankee imperialism" and
threw stones, breaking several
windows, before police arrived.
The Reds have never been very
numerous in Argentina, yet police
broke up mob marching toward
the Embassy and arrested more
than 25 persons who were loudly
protesting against North Ameri-
can intervention in Korea" In
Mexico City both the United
States and British embassies are
under guard to prevent hostile
Communist attacks.
Series of Strikes
But these open demonstrations
are not the serious aspects of the
Communist movement in these
southern countries. The real dan
gers are the widespread strikes
and the possibility of disastrous
sabotage in such countries as
Chile. Bolivia, Cuba and elsewhere
Washington officials are worried
that they may attempt to cripple
the copper, tin, oil and other in
dustries. many of them controlled
by United States capital, that are
destined to make important con-
tributions in critical materials to
the United States war effort and
especially to its rearmament pro-
gram.
There has already been a wave
OF strikes in the copper, nitrate
tin and other regions of Western
South America. Throughout July
and ever since the Communist at
tack on South Korea, there has
been series of walkouts and
tense situations in Chile. The gov
ernment of President Gonzalez
Videla has openly charged that
Communists have been melting
the mine unions to serious dis
turbances. The big United States
owned copper mine at Chuquica-
mata, which pays the highest
wages OF any mining enterprise
in Latin America, has experienced
one labor difficulty after another
for the past six months.
Grist for Red Mill
Unfortunately, long drawn-out
discussions in the United States
Congress concerning the reimposi-
tion of an import tax of 2 cents
a pound on Chilean and other
foreign copper, which had been
relaxed since the beginning of
World War II, has played directly
into Communist hands. The
House of Representatives has
voted by large majority to sus-
pend the tax for another year.
However, the upper House, led
by the bloc of Senators from
Western mining States. has held
up the measure. Most of these
Senators have insisted that the
tax should be imposed now, but
in the last few days have agreed
on a further suspension, but they
think it ought to be for only
nine months instead of a year.
Such maneuvers, such a threat
to Chile's chief export to the
United States, and the country's
principal source of revenue, are
in this critical moment grist for
the Red propaganda mill. The
comrades are telling the Chilean
workers that Uncle Sam is trying
to starve them. and crush them
by restricting its copper imports.
Meantime. we were already short
OF copper. Our own mines do
not produce enough. Now, with
the Korean war on. we shall need
increasing quantities of this and
other metals.
The important northern port OF
Tropocilla has been tied up be-
cause dock workers declared a
sympathy strike in support OF
striking workers at the big, near
by Maria Elena nitrate plant, also
operated by a United States COM
pany. Communist elements even
raised the Soviet flag on the Cerro
Pancho, one of the mountains
above the city. Strikes have also
been in progress in the southern
part of the country, not only
against foreign, but also local
enterprises such as the Valdivia
steel plant and other industrial
firms.
Batista Defends Party
Port workers unions in Cuba
several of which follow the Mos
cow party line, have threatened
to close down 10 of the leading
seaports of that island nation
from which sugar, molasSes, al
cohol and such other products are
shipped to the United States
Communist activities in the island
republic have become SO serious
in the last few weeks, and espe-
cially since the outbreak in Asia,
that Havana's leading newspaper
the Diario de la Marina. warns
the government against this
serious threat by the Reds.
In an editorial, the Cuban news
paper goes on to say, "If by mis-
fortune the difficulty in Korea
were to spread, Cuba itself might
even have to face an armed revo-
luton on the part of the Com
munist guerrillas." The paper
continues, "At times, such as the
present, the liberalism and toler-
ance of our government cannot be
literally interpreted" and con-
cludes with the statement that
1T is necessary to take sides with
full precision so that one will