Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-29
Irons

Continued From First PageD
the mule slithered down preci-
pieces or struggled up sheer,
white soapstone cliffs
About miles from the border
the mule gave up. We left him
at a peasants adobe hut and
continued walking.
I missed my footing in the
mud and plunged into the water.
soaking myself and my baggage.
My camera has been unusable
ever since. Santival fell in, too,
and lost his ammunition.
The rain still dashed down.
One broad river had a bridge,
but it was another wire and slat
structure tilted dangerously and
broken in places.
Life's best moment was walk
ing over the solid stone bridge
into Esquipulas at 10 o'clock
that night.
From Esquipulas I got a lift
in a truck to Chiquimula, now
headquarters of the rebels.
Milling With Soldiers.
Chiquimula is a SPRAYING
mountain town of white, pink
and purple-washed, red-roofed
houses. Now it is milling with
picturesque, unwashed Soldiery.
When it is not raining, the CEN
trail plaza looks like a fiesta,
with crowds strolling beside a
bright, tropical flowerbed. From
a loudspeaker on the bandstand
records blare, peppered with
broadcast exhortations to "joln
the patriotic army of Col. Cas-
tillo Armas and defeat the Com
munist menace"
The only damage done when
Col. Armas and his rebels cap
tured the town last Thursday
was a few smashed lamp globes
and a broken arm on a statue
labeled Tragedy.
The broadcast propaganda is
directed by a Mexican radio
singer, Alfonso Aguirre Santos,
who has composed a topical Ca
lypso. A record of this is played
at least six times hourly, saying
Let us triumph as in Chiqul-
mula onward to capture Ia
capa."
Zacapa is a railroad town, re-
ported to be the rebels next OBJ
jective.
Living Conditions Primitive.
People are so poor and living
conditions so primitive that it wa!
surprising to hear that the re.
treating government troops tool
with them around $4,000 o.
public money from the agrariar
bank.
Hero of the Chiquimula figh
was eel Mico"-the monkey
big, brawny, prematurely bald
ing dentistry student WHIT
grabbed a machinegun after hi
two companions were killed ant
stormed alone through tn
towns center.
Information about the fight
ing is wildly inaccurate. Eve
the commanders disagree on ho'
many were killed and wounde
in the fight for Chiquimuls
Col. Georges Barrios was she
through the knee leading tn
rebel attack. He said: II saw /
bodies, but I do not know froI
whose side"
The Colonel also said sewers
government soldiers threw o
. their uniforms and Joined tn
rebel fighters.
40 Prisoners Taken.
The rebels took more than 4
prisoners. including Col. Geort
Hernandez. who is now impri'
oned at ESquipulaS.
I went out to the village
Quezaltpeque. There the pole
|, chief, a small stout man with
tricolor pennant hanging dow
from the back of his white stra
hat, proudly showed me his pri
. oners-20 miserable men hut
; died on straw in an anciel
y cowshed.
: He assured me they would n
: !, be shot but tried.
u The rain came down in
: deluge.
e In the open. thatched shelf
village women cooked black bea'
d and hunks Of meat for 500 me
% Commander Arrives.
: After dark an important col
voy rolled up. 1t was c.
Castillo Armas. commander
< chief of the rebels. In t
: candlelit post Office he tel
;. phoned orders to his Chiquimu
t. headquarters.
is Castillo Armas is slim. in II
l maculate khaki cotton uniforl
e with a revolver stuck in !
e belt, and o white ski cap ov
y lis thin face which was cover
ID black, stubbly beard. He sal