Evening star., 1952-01-18

government OF COLOMBIA 70 q pro-
test against the stoning Of an
American-run Baptist church in
Bogota last month.
The State Department said the
stoning In Colombia's capital city
climaxed more than three years
OF persecution Of Protestant mis-
sionaries in the predominantly
Catholic South American country.
DR.. Clyde w. Taylor, secretary
Of affairs Of the National Associa-
tion. Of Evangelicals here, said
more than 100 Protestant congre-
cations have ceased to function
as q result of the persecution
since late in 1913.
One American missionary has
been killed, some beaten and jailed
and many forced to flee from their
missions in Colombia's hinterland.
according to reports to both DR..
Taylor and to the State Depart
ment.
Former d. C. Girl Flees.
A former Washington girl, Miss
Marjorie Jones, fed to another
section Of Colombia after an at
tempt to dynamite a mission she
was operating in the summer Of
1850. DR.. Taylor said. Her father,
the Rev. George Jones, was head
OF the Christian and Missionary
Alliance Study at STA Georgia
avenue NV. here at the time.
He now has moved to Scranton
Pa, and Miss Jones still is doing
missionary work in Colombia.
State Department officials said
that. numerous informal protests
TO Columbian officials over the last
Few years had brought assurances
OF renewed efforts to enforce CO.
lombia's constitutional guarantee
OF freedom of worship, but little
direct action. .
The first formal note OF protest,
described as strong and vigorous
was filed December q by Ambas-
sador Capus M. Waynick in Bo-
gotta after he had witnessed the
stonlng OF a new Baptist chapel
oy a group led by a Catholic
priest.
Ask Assurance of Protection.
The State Department refused
TO disclose the contents of the
note. Oficials said 1t asked as
surance of adequate police pro-
lection in the future.
Such assurance was given Mr.
Waynick verbally, it was said. but
no formal reply has yet reached
washington. An Associated Press
dispatch from Bogota today in
dlcated the Ambassador may have
received a reply.
Reports to the State Depart-
ment and to the National Asso-
clatlon OF Evangelicals-of which
81 Protestant denominations in
this country are membersAagree
on this account of the stonine:
The Rev. Gerald Riddell. Bap-
tlst missionary from Texas, was
dedicating a new chapel in down
town Bogota on December %.
when the Rev. Florencio Alvarez
q Catholic priest, led a group to
the scene and harrangued the
crowd from the front of the Bap-
tist chapel.
Phones u s. Embassy
The Rev. Mr.. Riddell teIephoned
the American Embassy and Am
bassador Waynick promptly went
10 the chapel. Meanwhile. Father
Alvarez's followers began throwing
rocks at the Baptist chapel, break
Ing windows and damaging the
door, Ambassador Waynick en-
couraged Mr.. Riddell to go on with
his service and stayed through to
the end himself.
At another service the next
night, Colombian police showed up
Tor protection. but left before
rather Alvarez led another group
OF demonstrators to the Baptist
church. More stones were thrown.
DR.. Taylor said that so far as
ne knows the Rev. Mr.. Riddell has
had no further trouble and is still
operating the chapel. while its
windows are boarded up awaiting
repairs.
Ihis was the first of the hostile
incidents reported from a large
city in Colombia. Most of the
trouble. according to DR.. TAYLOR
and the State Department, has
been In small towns and villages
IN remote areas.
Trouble Dates to '48.
The persecution of Protestants
state Department officials said. is
connected with civil strife that
has been going on in Colombia
since major rioting on April 9.
l948, interrupted ap Inter-Ameri-
can Conference in Bogota.
The Conservative Party. in
power. is opposed by the Liberal
Party. Both are predominantly
Catholic. But. State Department
officials said. most of Colombia's s
comparatively few Protestants are
members of the Liberal Party
The Liberals oppose Catholic
church schools as a basis of the
country's educational system.
While committed to protection
OF the constitutional freedom of
worship guarantee, the Colon
bian government is reported
handicapped by lack of effective
control In some areas and by the
feelings Of local Catholic oficials
Oficials said they could not re-
call any instance Of any one be-
Ing jailed in the series of attacks
on Protestant churchmen and
burning of their churches. In
one case. however. the mayor of
q town where Protestant mis-
sion was dynamited was fred.
Police officers have been trans
ferred in some other cases.
q. s. Missionary Slain.
Most of the individuals affected
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