Evening star., 1950-07-30

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own Pacific Coast. Communica-
tions between Mexico and your
country are most convenient. The
tremendous tourist travel across
the border is by direct highways.
No passports, viSas-only tourist
cards are required. Anybody can
get these. Moreover" he added,
sit is very easy for your own
fellow-travelers to go back and
forth across the line, transmitting
information from the United
States to friends south of the
border"
Reds Strong Elsewhere
It should also be borne in mind
that Mexico has a number of out
standing friends and public sup
porters of communism, such as
the influential labor leader, Vim
cente Lombardo Toledano, and
others. 1t is also an open secret
in the Mexican capital that sew
eral diplomats from other Latin
American countries are particu-
larly friendly with the Soviet and
satellite embassies.
The Communists are also strong
in other Middle American coun-
tries. Much has been published
lately about the Communist
trolled and government-sponsored
labor unions and political parties
| in Guatemala, where a presiden-
tial election campaign has been
in full swing. Until now the
comrades in that Central Amer
ican nation had not come out
in the open but worked through
the local unions, parties and
other organizations. But they
are now seeking to confuse the
situation by putting out their
own newspaper and making it
appear that they are not aligned
with the present government.
Unfortunately, several former"
governmental employees are help
ing to edit the new paper. Ap-
parently this tactic is not fooling
any one in Washington official
circles.
President Juan Jose Arevalo has
declared his administrations soli-
darity with the United Nations in
the South Korean invasion. Un-
fortunately the Guatemalan gov
ernment is one of the few which
has not yet ratified the Rio hem
isphere defense pact. The Pres
ident has now called upon Con-
gress to put it's formal ok. on this
treaty but his request has met
with tremendous outcry, not
only from the new Communist
sheet. but from the pro-Com-
munist labor unions and political
parties supporting the leftist pres
idential candidate, Col. Jacobo
Arbenz.
Victor Emanuel Gutierrez, head
of the revolutionary Labor Party
sponsoring the candidacy of Ar
benz, has denounced the agree
ment in the most violent but
familiar Communist terms. He
says it not only acts against "the
national sovereignty of the coun-
try, but it would force Guatemala
to place its army at the orders of
the United States general staff"
Opposition to Communist in
fluence in Guatemalan affairs has
been on the increase. Last week
several people were killed in open
clashes between students and
others opposed to the Arevalo ad-
ministration, and the leftist pro-
government labor groups. Mer-
chants and business establish
ments, doctors and other profess
sional people went on strike de-
manding the designations of Ger
tain high governmental officials
and police officers. The strike was
evidently very effective in spite
of government threats to take over
stores and business houses that re-
fused to open their doors.
Canal Area Active
President Arevalo yielded to most
of the demands made by the
strikers, but declared a state of
siege suspending all public gath
erings. Several prominent Guate-
malan businessmen now in the
United States think this could be
the beginning of a serious struggle
between Red elements and patri-
otto Guatemalans. One thing is
now clear. The Arevalo govern
ment is supported only by the
avowed Ieftists of the country,
and possibly the majority of the
military, although there is known
to be cleavage among certain
elements in the army.
In Costa Rica, next door to the
strategic Panama Canal, where
two years ago the Communists
actually gained control of the
government. there are renewed
Red activities. Even President
Otilio Ulate, himself, has spoken
out against the extreme leftists.
He has already ordered the ma
tional security police to keep
strict surveillance of communistic
and clandestine movements and
to watch for acts of sabotage by
some of the leftist labor elements