Evening star., 1962-09-22
Rebels Switch,
Try 70 Retain
Guido in Office
Firing Erupts
AT Buenos Aires
Ruilwoy PIuzu

CAP).-LoyaltieS of Argentina
military factions
turned topsy-turvy overnight.
Rebels who had been fighting
President Jose Maria Guido's
government sent a tank column
into battle in Buenos Aires at
dawn to keep him in power.
Machine gun fire ratified in
exchange between the World
War II Sherman tanks and
troops of Gen. Juan Carlos
Lorio. erstwhile supporter Of
Mr.. Guido who split with him
and joined a navy move to oust
the president and install a
three-man military junta.
The clash came in Constitu-
ton Plaza, site of one of the
capitals major railway term
inals.
Snipers and a foot patrol
fought the armored units.
Witnesses said a 23-year-old
conscript was shot dead and a
sergeant wounded in a skirmish
on a side street bordering the
plaza.
Guido Seeks Peace
Mr.. Guido desperately sought
a cease fire. He appealed to all
Argentine generals on active
duty to confer with him at the
Government House at 9 am.
tomorrow.
Despite a navy proclamation
Of a rebellion against Mr..
Guido, navy forces kept out of
the fighting and one admiral
indicated the navy's junta plan
was crumbling. The admiral
said the fleet now wants a
prime minister to run the gov
eminent. either under Mr..
Guido or Supreme Court aus
pices.
Once q prime minister is
installed" he said, "all ques-
tions in the ranks would be re-
solved"
Previous actions had taken
a toll Of six dead, of whom five
were civilians, and at least %
wounded.
Frantic military and political
maneuvers had turned the
tables in the night.
The original rebels, headed
by Gen. Juan Carlos Ongania.
now called themselves the legal
lists. With return of constitu-
tional government as their con-
tinued aim. they pledge to keep
Mr.. Guido in power and insure
elections for a new government
The loyalists who had bat
tied with many words and
occasional shots for Mr.. Guido
through four days of crisis are
now the rebels.
The Navy, which had kept
on the sidelines, proposed a
three-man military junta to
stop the drift toward civil war.
Meeting Breaks Up
Earlier, the navy said Mr..
Guido had offered his resig-
nation to the council of ad-
mirals. But Guido's secretary
denied he was quitting, and a
spokesman at the rebel strong
hold Of Campo de Mayo near
Buenos Aires said the Presi-
dent had notified them he In
tends to remain at his post.
The meeting of top leaders.
held at heavily guarded build
ing of the navy Secretariat,
broke up inconclusively after
two hours. Capt. Francisco
Palomeque. a navy spokesman,
said no statement would be is
sued because one of the parties
presumably the rebels-did
not attend.
However, the Navy an
nounced soon after the meeting
that the Navy Secretary. Rear
Admiral Castor Clement, had
Offered his resignation.
A rebel spokesman said their
leader, Gen. Ongania, turned
down an invitation to attend
because he felt any such meet
ing should be held at Campo
de Mays.
Police said early today a
soldier died from bullet wounds
suffered in an exchange of fire
between Air Force Jets and.
Loyalist troops on a train near
Moron Air Base in the vicinity
Of BuenoS Aires.
A civilian bystander was the
first person reported dead from
the rebellion. He was hit in
the head by a richoceting
machinegun bullet when rebel
and loyal forces exchanged
See ARGENTINA, Page A-2