Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-28

Z
way blocked by a locked dool
to the roof. In his flight h,
fired at a woman servant and 9
colonel on Castillo's staff.
The vice president declared
nine days of national mourn.
ing. Government Offices will be
closed until Wednesday.
1t was indicated the funeral
viii be Tuesday. The body lies
in state in the government
palace tomorrow and Monday
But diplomats said they have
been told the burial will be
Wednesday.
Hundreds of Guatemalans
lined up in the rain, then filed
by the bier in the palace during
the day.
Although Congress an
nounced elections in four
months under a constitutional
provision. the suspension of po-
litical activity during the 30
day state of siege will delay the
elections for at least five
months.
Mentioned as Candidate
Col. Jose Luis Cruz Falandar,
now ambassador to Washing
ton. and Col. Francisco Olivia,
Minister Of Defense and now
martial law ruler of the coun-
try. are mentioned as presiden-
tial candidates.
The assassin was identified
as a former tailor from the
provincial town of Mazaten-
ango who Joined the Presiden-
tial Guard June /. Despite Off
cial branding as a Communist,
it was said he showed no rec
ord of criminal or political
background when he was given
a security check.
There had been frequent
rumors of plots against Col
Castillo Armas, mostly directed
by those driven into exile after
Col. Castillo Armas collected a
ragtag army and defeated the
forceSof President Jacobo Ar
benz Guzman in about 10 days
in July 1854.
But Col. Castillo Armas said
last November-aS he had done
on previous occasions - that
such attempts ARE of no i'm
portance." Guatemala is en-
joying a period of relative
prosperity with good crops and
export business.
Arbenz Guzman is now in
exile in Montevideo, Uruguay
There was no immediate COM
ment from him.
Celebrated Victory
Col. Castillo Armas had cele-
brated the third anniversary of
his victory over Arbenz Guz-
man last July 3.
He marked the anniversary
by dedicating 400 small public
works, including hospitals,
schools, water supply systems
and a rural hydroelectric plant,
completed in the past year at a
cost of $25 million. Col. Cas-
tillo Armas also gave 5000 farm
workers deeds to small holdings
of land as part of his regimes
agricultural reform policies.
In the three years he had re-
ceived a total of ST. million
in United States aid to help de-
fray a five-year program call
ing for spending $3.50 million
in various economic and social
improvement projects.
Col. Castillo Armas, a wiry
army man who stood 5 feet S,
once told an interviewer his best
friend in his successful revolt
against the Red-supported ia
cobo Arbenz was "Chabelita. "
That is what Col. Castillo
Armas called his blue black
.45-caliber automatic and he
said: I'VE are inseparable.
Wherever I go, Chabelita goes
But this was only one part
of the character of Col. Castillo
Armas. who was a man of quiet
temperament who liked to play
chess. He was soft-spoken,
friendly with visitors and I'M
affected.
Son Of Cattle Raiser
He was born November 4,
1914, in Santa Lucia Cotzumal-
guapa. His father was a farmer
and cattle raiser. He entered
the Polytechnical School in
Guatemala-the country's mill
tary academy-at 10. He was
IT nAI TANN ma