6 = Popular Action Foils Fascist Plot Columbia Labor Backs President MEXICO CITY The recent kidnapping of Co- lumbian President Alfonso Lo- pez was “closely related to a series of recent rightist attacks in the Americas, resulting from international causes,” Napoleon Molina, secretary of the Gonfed- eration of Colombian Workers, and Vicente Lombardo Toledano, president of the Confederation of Latin American Workers (CTAL), declared in a joint statement released here last weekend. (According to a despatch sent from Montevideo by Allied La- bor News’ Andrew Gordon, an attack on Uruguay by the Ar- gentine Colonel’s Lodge (GOU) is possible at any moment, foi- lowing reports that about a week ago the so-called na- tionalist militia now training in Entre Rios province, which bor- ders on Wruguay, landed on an < unidentified Uruguayan island on the Uruguay River and hoist- ed the Argentine flag. The mi- litia, which is being carefully drilled and trained, is said to have withdrawn shortly after- wards. This is considered as a possible rehearsal for forth- coming actions.) “When Republican Spain fell,” the statement issued by Mclina and Toledono declared, “Colombian reaction formed a group called the ‘Academia Caro’ with the purpose of spreading Hispanidad doctrines. It con= trols the Conservative Party and the main reactionary newspaper HI Siglo, edited by Dr. Laureane Gomez, leader of the Colombian Conservatives and an open F'a- langist. The Academia’s pur- pose has been to foment civil War and seize power in alliance with fanatic clerical elements. “After the imprisonment of Gomez in February on a libel charge brought by Interior Min- ister Alberto Lleras Camargo, reaction openly urged a revolt on Hebruary 10, but this was smashed by labor which called nation-wide demonstrations. Re- action then went underground, letting its allies among the clergy do agitational ~ work ‘against Lopez and (Vice-Presi- dent Dario) Echandia. “A fanatic priest, Teofilo Vera, in the town of Purifica- cion, department of Tolima, ac- tually led a three-hour revolt. Pasto City, where Lopez was kidnapped this week, is a cleri- cal stronghold and Col. Diogenes Gil is a known Falangist mem- ber of the Conservative Party, indicating the Lopez attack is a fanatic expression of fascist ideology represented by the Argentine regime.” (Pasto’s Hillman'Announces New Pro-Roosevelt Group By HERMAN SANDERS NEW YORK (ALN)—Formation of a new non- partisan national organization of leading progressives from all walks of life “dedicated to the election of President Roosevelt and a progressive Congress” in November was announced in Washington this week by Sidney Hillman, chairman of the CIO Political Action Committee. While the CLO-PAC will in- tensify its work, Hillman said, the new group, known as the National Citizens Poli- tical Action Committee, will go further and seek to “unite ali workers, farmers, busi- nessmen and professional peo- ple who share our purpose for effective political action.” As chairman of the National Citizens PAC, Hillman pointed out that the new organization does not come under the ban on the use of union funds in a na- tional election imposed by the Smith-Connally Act. Its con- tributions will come from indi- viduals in the form of voluntary contributions. Unexpended CIO-PAC funds will be frozen until after the election and then used to con- tinue the organization’s activi- ties. Hillman assailed the leader- ship of the Republican party and the platform adopted at its Chicago convention, declaring that Republican presidential candidate Thomas E. Dewey “is a ereature of Hoover and the whole question today is whether the country is going back to Hoover.” Republican party pol- icy stands for ‘‘complete infla- tion,” he said, referring to its planks calling for the lifting of controls and prices. Asked if he thought that _the Republicans if they win the November election will de- stroy labor’s gains, Hillman said: “I think they would give labor the rawest kind of a deal.” Seamen Plan For Postwar NEW YORK, (ALN) — The national council of the National Maritime Union, meeting here last week, called on ship opera- tors to cooperate with the union in achieving the postwar ob- jectives of “harmonious labor relations, prevention of strikes and lockouts, fullest possible use of our merchant marine, and full employment and economic security for the seamen.” The conference, attended by union leaders from every major U.S. port, represented 80,000 NMU members. “Tabor - management- govern- ment cooperation has made pos- sible top-schedule operation of the largest merchant marine in the history of the United States,” the NMU’s resolution on postwar policy declared. “The world markets which will be opened by the terms of the Te- heran accord call for even great- er operations. Constructive and harmonious relationships be- tween the union and the ship- owners on the all-important postwar security problems can and should eliminate completely strikes or lockouts after the war.” The NMU also called for an early United Nations shipping conference, representative of labor, management and govern- ment, to discuss postwar prob- lems of the industry. population is 90 per cent Indian and largely illiterate.) “Many high army oifi- cials,’ the joint statement added, “are anti-democrats, whe at various times at- tempted coups, since most of- ficers attained their rank dur- ing the peried of Conservative rule. Reaction all through the Americas is playing its last ecard, taking advantage of democratic tolerance, but Co- lumbia will come through this trying hour victorious and democracy will triumph. Co- lumbian labor is completely united in support of Lopez and will not hesitate in restor- ‘Ing national tranquility.” President Alfonso Lopez, who returned to Bogota last week after failure of the mili- tary plot to seize his govern- ment, named Dr. Laureano Go- mez, head of the Conservative Party and a Falange leader, as instigator of the plot. Before Doctor lopez’ return, acting- President Dario Echandia re- moved Gomez from membership in the Foreign Relations Com- mission, thus revoking his im- munity to prosecution. Speaking to a demonstration of more than 50,000 persons as- sembled before the Presidential Palace, Doctor Lopez thanked the citizens of Bogota for their support and declared that re- action would not suceed in over- throwing Colombian democracy. (Doctor Lopez, who was kid- napped by Colonel Diogenes Gil while reviewing a military par- ade in Pasto, department of Narino, was freed by loyal army forces and the people of Con- saca, a hamlet near Pasto. The president himself seized Gil and his aides. The subversive move- ment, initiated in Pasto and ex- tended to Ibague and Bucara- manga, has been completely sup- pressed. The rebellion in Pasto_ was crushed after a short fight by loyal army men and with the aid of the local population. The governor of Bucaramanga seized officers who assassinat- ed Col. Julio Guarin, loyal to the government, and reestab- lished’order. In Tbague, leaders of the insurrection surrendered.) Throughout the country demonstrations in support of the President took place both during and after his rescue. Led by the Confederation of Colombian Werkers (CTC), the president’s own Liberal Party and the Communist Party, the demonstrations pledged unrestricted aid to Dector Lopez’ regime and pledged to work with the army and local police. The three groups have demanded “implacable castigation” of Seditious military leaders and the removal from the armed forces of opponents of democ- racy. HOME OF UNION MADE CLOTHING and FRIENDLY SERVIC (aes na Ee eee eee Established Over 40 Years 45 East Hastings, Vancouver Cuba Elects Popular Bloc HAVANA. — The Democratic Socialist Coalition, made up of four progressive parties in Guba, has succeeded in electing a majority of senators in four of the six provinces of the island, and obtaining a majority of rep- resentatives in the lower house, a final count of the June gereral election returns reveals. Al- though Dr. Grau San Martin, Falange-backed opposition can- didate, won the presidency, he _ will be faced with a predomi- nantly progressive Congress. Grau received approximately 1,00,000' votes while the coali- tion presidential candidate, Dr. Carlos Saladrigas, received 800,- 000. The Popular Socialist Party,. which participated in previous elections as the Communist Re- volutionary Union, was the most dynamic factor within the coali- tion. 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