Evening star., 1954-06-26
Rebels SET Up
Own Capital
In Guatemala
Claims Conflict, But
Struggle Apparently
Is Becoming Hot War
By the Asseeioi0d Press

" wv NsSOSsAtOo GtOoS
!TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
June 26. - ANTI Communist
Guatemalan rebels set up a pro-
viSional government last night
amid indications the struggle
for that Central American nation
is becoming a hot shooting war.
InSurgent planes attacked
Guatemala City and the rebel
radio claimed it's forces were
marching VIGOROUSLY" on the
capital. The CommuniSt-sup-
ported government of President
Jacobo Arbenz Guzman declared,
however, It's troops remained in
control on all fronts.
Creation of the provisional
regime. headed by rebel COM
nlander Col. Carlos Castillo
Armas, was announced in a
communique by the liberation
army" It said the government
headquarters were at Chiqui-
mula, a town of 8,848 people, 20
miles from the Honduran border.
The communique said Chiqui-
mula had been captured early
yesterday. But a dispatch from
Associated Press Correspondent
Jack Rutledge in Guatemala
City said the governments latest
bulletins claimed Chiquimula
was still in it's ahnds. Mr.. Rut-
ledge'S dispatch passed through
Guatemalan censorship and was
delayed about six hours in trans
mission.
Ammunition Dump Robbed.
Rebel planes also blasted
zacapa and other government
tr o n G holds. Authoritative
sources said a direct bomb hit
on an ammunition dump at Ia
capa knocked out the garrison
there. The stepped-up air
strikes led one source here to
comment that "the cold war is
getting hot"
Up till now the eight-day-old
struggle has been waged chiefly
with propaganda weapons. Only
sporadic clashes have been re-
ported between the opposing
forces.
Eight Americans who crossed
the Guatemalan frontier iuto
Mexico yesterday said they be-
lieved the rebel forces had the
government ION the rum" A
Boston newspaperman in the
group said he had seen 400
wounded government troops en-
route to the capital.
A rebel broadcast claimed
Castillo'S forces we're holding the
three most important towns in
the Honduras border region. AS
serting government troops had
deserted to the rebel side, the
broadcast said the combined
forces were now marching vic
toriously toward the capital to
overthrow Arbenz, who has de-
livered himself into the arms of
the Communist rats"
Celebration Reported.
In reporting the capture of
Chiquimula, IS miles northeast
of Guatemala City, the rebel
communique said hundreds of
townspeople presented them
selves to enlarge the ranks of
our army" there.
"The triumph of our forces
was jubilantly celebrated by the
civilian population, which was
happy to see themselves free of
the Red claw" the communique
added.
Chiquimula straddles the
branch railway which links El
Salvador with the main Guate-
mala line-running between the
east and west coast by way of
Guatemala City. Rebel reports
said the town was strongly forti-
fled and defended by regular
Guatemalan army units and
several hundred well-armed
Communists"
The communique also claimed
the seizure of q military convoy
which it said had been sent from
Guatemala City to reinforce the
garrison at Zacapa,
about IS miles north of Chiqui-
mula. The clandeStine rebel ra-
dio previously had announced
the capture of Zapaca but the
communique did not repeat the
claim.
Warning OF More Raids.
Another rebel broadcast warn
ed of further air raids on gov
ernment-held centers and ad-
viSed the people to stay away
from military objectives.
Yesterdays air attack on
Guatemala City apparently was
the heaviest yet on the capital,
although it was carried out by
only two or three planes. Dis
patches from the city said PATS
Strafed the national palace,
where Arbenz was at work, and
bombed an army fort.
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