Evening star., 1950-01-15
GuotemaIo's
Labor Woes
MoyWorsen
Feors Expressed That
Economic Chaos Is
in the Offing
ByEdword TomIinson

| t..GUATEMALA CITY.-Many of
the fmost responsible citizens of
Guatemala express the fear that
extremist labor bosses. aided and
abetted by 'leftist politicians, are
Leading their picturesque little
country down the road to economic
tchaos. Some of them are not sure
but that this means straight into
the arms of communism. "A coffee
planter assured me that fGuate-
Nmala is the latest guinea pig of
thes Communists in this hemis-
phere.
No one suggests that President
Jose Arevalo is himself pro-Com-
munist or that he would inten-
tionally permit his country to be
influenced by any alien idiology.
They tell you that being an ultra
liberal he. is merely too indulgent,
or too trusting toward some of the
people around him. That is to
say, his policies and wishes are
being circumvented as the result
OF connivance between pro-Red
| propagandists and friends of Mos
cow in the labor unions as we'll as
in the nationalistic political
parties.
Under the new regime in Guate-
mala. as in Mexico and several
other Latin American countries,
labor unions are closely aligned
with the regular political parties,
especially for election purposes.
The year of 1850 is presidential
election year in the country and
labor along with all political
groups are now maneuvering for
position in the coming campaign.
Follow Moscow Line
Critics of the government point
to the turbulence and violence
that have marked the whole period
OF the Arevalo administration, as
evidence that something is funda-
mentally wrong. AS a Guatemal-
an neWspaperman expressed it,
There have been 20 attempts,
some of them bloody, to overthrow
tne present government. Last
summer Col. Francisco Javier
Aranha, popular high officer of
the army and the most likely
candidate of the more conserva-
tive elements in the country for
the presidency in next years elec-
lions, also known for his anti
Communistic sentiments, was mur-
oered on a public highway and
his assassins have never been ap-
prehended. Business and industry
nave been harassed and squeezed
by strikes and political pressure
all OF which has injured the peo-
pie, the workers more than the
owners OF business and industry )"
AT any rate spokesmen of the
labor movement, as well as the
more radical politicians, parrot the
familiar Moscow line. They de-
nounce the foreign exploiters 4"
On successive evenings in Guate-
mala City I heard a labor spokes-
man on the radio praise the
Chinese Communist armies "for
lioeratlng the people of that vast
country" Another denounced
franco OF Spain, not merely be-
cause the generalissimo had been
pro-Nazl during the war but be-
cause che is now trying to auction
nlmself off to the imperialistic
yankees. This was evidently in
reference to recent comment in
Spain. "
Within the past few weeks the
!eadlng labor unions in Guatemala
nave become members of the left
lst Latin American Confederation
OF Labor, founded and controlled
oy the pro-Red Mexican labor
leader, Vicente Lombardo Tole-
dano. Both Guatemalan labor
leaders and politicians have zeal
ously attended and taken part in
the Moscow-inspired "peace con-
crosses" that have been held in
various world cities in the past two
years. Alfredo Guerra Borges. ed
ltor OF one of the pro-government
newspapers, was the No. 2 man at
the latest of these congresses held
IN Mexico City last summer. Lom-
oardo Toledano was the king pin
OF the gathering which was spcn-
sored by other leftists, as well as
communists throughout the hem
isphere. including a large number
from the United States. The
Guatemalan delegation was among
the largest representing any coun-
try at the Mexico City meeting.
Ruled by Dictator
OF course, it is well to remember
that until 1914 Guatemala had for
more than a decade been ruled by
iron listed Dictator President
Jorge Ubico. There were no such
things as labor unions. No organ
lzations of any kind had the slight
est political flavor, or that har-
bored any ideas critical of the gov
ernment were permitted. Univers-
ity students and professors were
watched for any so-called liberal.
that is, "leftist" leanings. The pen
atty for such beliefs was often
exile or jail, and in some cases
death. Newspapers were strictly
censored and radio was dominated
by the government. There was no
opportunity for younger men to
develop into leaders or to become
acquainted with the give-and-take
OF democratic institutions.
When Ubico was overthrown
youngsters with ne experience in
government became almost over
night heads of labor unions, as
well as political parties, members
of Congress, cabinet officials and
judges Of courts. The average age
OF members of the new Congress
was Is years and nearly all of
them were young professors OF