A portion of the crowd that gathered in the streets of E:enos Aires when the elections

were annulied last spring.

Argentine labor fights
for freedom, democracy

Down the boulevards of
Buenos Aires, on the night of
March 18, limousines carrying
generals and admirals in act-
ive command were speeding
to a sinister gathering.

The Sunday night crowds,
following the latest election
returns by portable radios or
late newspaper editions, did
not suspect .that the gorillas
(term used in Argentina for
the military brass that is
ready and willing at any time
to subvert constitutional or-
der), the Secretaries of the
Army, Navy and Air Force, in
a meeting with colleagues and
in constant touch with the U.
S. and British ambassadors,
were undoing the elections of
that very day; the working
class -had garnered a sensa-
tional series of triumphs; 10
governorships and 43 seats in
Congress, of which they were
about to be robbed.

The meeting of the gorillas
was being held without Presi-
dent Arturo Frondizi inas-

much as he was the dunce
who had provoked all the

trouble.

Although Frondizi was one
of the boys, who on almost all
previous occasions had be-
haved like a responsible mem-
ber of his class, this time,
acting like a jackass, he had
actually let the workers par-
ticipate in a free election and
had made an honest count of
the votes. Where was Argen-
tina going to end up that way?

The gorillas were all in ac-
cord: Frondizi had to be
dumped. j

*

Jose Maria “Guido, pushed
into his place as a puppet of
the military, was told at the
-outset that he must abide by
four cardinal points: Federal
interventionin 17 provinces of.
the country; nullifiction of the
March 18 elections; prohibi-
tion of the UCRI (Peronist),
Socialist Vanguard, and com-
munist parties; abolition of all
laws protecting labor.

On May 1 no. workers’
manifestations were allowed.
Repression continued, with
wholesale arrests of labor
leaders, newspapermen, and
leftist party officers. Several
newspapers and magazines
were shut down by _ the
government.

On May 2, Andres Framini,
~who won the all-important
yovernorship of Buenos Aires
province with more than a
million votes. was denied en-
trancé by police to the Gov-
erno: s House! The ‘same oc-
curred. to the other winning
candidates of the Left.
“This act marked the verifi-

This Article...

The acCompanying artic-
le is an excerpt from a
letter sent to the U.S. pro-
gressive West Coast week-
ly paper, “People’s World.”
’ The letter was datelined
Mexico City and ‘was sign-
ed by Carlos. Crashaw, who
is a frequent contributor to
the “PW”.

It bearS out the fact that
only a tight rein by the
country’s military is keep-
ing the people’s progress

in check.

cation, the consummation of
the robbery. Now there could
hardly be a doubt about the
gorillas’ intentions. Since then
Congress has been dissolved,
repression continues, and the
nation’s economy is near ruin.
* * *

And labor? Where was
Argentina’s well organized
working class, with such a
long tradition of combativnes,
quring all this military night-
mare?

The General Federation of _

Labor (CGT), largest of the
country, composed of 62
unions, has needed constant
prodding, yet it embraces
working men as staunch and
fearless as any; in fact, the
majority was in favor of an
immediate general strike, but
most of the leaders held it
back.

Using the argument that
the 32 independent unions
might not go along with the
general strike, they threw
cold water on the fighting
spirit of the rank and file.

The 32 independent unions,
also an important bloc, have,
in general terms, followed
the government line.

The group that seems to be
best armed with class ideology
is the United and Coordinated

Workers Movement (MUCS),:

made up%?f 19 unions. Its po-
sition was as clear as day:
abolish the “austerity plan”
proposed by the government;
increase of 40% in salaries, in
accord with inflationary
prices, respect for the March
18 elections; liberation of all

0 200
STATUTE MILES

‘a tremendously

political prisoners; legislation

of the UCRI and Communist

parties.
. * * *

The fighting MUCS had
strategy to spare, such as pro-
posals for two general strikes
during the month of May, but
its principal aim was to co-
ordinate action with the CGT.

On May 18 the CGT pre-

sented a five-point plan to
President Guido, which al-
though criticized as incom-
plete by the MUCS, was, at
any rate, action at last!

President Guido ignored
the appeal, and due to this
affront and the clamor of the
rank and file, the CGT an-
nounced two 24-hour national
strikes for May 29 and June
18. The MUCS readily joined
the CGT and on that day in
May together they fought off
the strike breakers.

Soldiers and _ policemen
gave up trying to drive city
busses over streets strewn
with tacks.

Plans for new and still
more -effective strikes on a
national scale were set in
motion; it was no use trying
to reason with gorillas.

Their arbitrary and blind
attitude was successful in
bringing about the unity of all
forces of the Left in the form
of a declaration condemning
the Guido government. Sign-
ers were the Governing Coun-
cil of the UCRI (Peronist)
party, Communist and Social-
is parties, some leaders of the
CGT, the MUCS, the Feder-
ation of University Students
and the Argentine Popular
Movement.

* * *

On Aug. 1 and 2 a strong,
united Left, fighting together
for the first time, carried out
successful
general strike.

Government retaliation
made Buenos Aires look like
a city taken by an invading
army. In addition to fully
armed military units posted
at all important intersections,
200 armored patrols were in
constant movement. Looking
out for workers’ concentra:
tions were dozens of helicopt-
ers and reconnaissance planes.
This is a clear indication of
the fear the gorillas have for
a united working class.

With the country on the
brink of anarchy, and all the
gorillas snarling at each other
as they scramble for power,
unions and parties of the Left
are now openly talking of
their own all-out drive for po-
litical power. We wish them
success.

Torches too close
to powder kegs,
Soviet press warns

By JOHN WEIR
Tribune Staff Correspondent

MOSCOW — The Soviet press shows growing C0
over the burning torches that are being brought ever
to the powder keg of war, especially since President Ken
open espousal of the theory of “preventive war’’. :

Newspapers cite U.S. Defense Minister MacNam
statements in Washington on his return from a visit to?
Germany to the effect that West German warplanes
already been armed with nuclear rockets and that U?
States and ‘other’? planes with atom bombs stand read
“protect the access to Berlin’.

MacNamara disclosed what NATO strategists have
to conceal from world opinion, says Pravda, “namely
under cover of noisy arguments about ‘NATO nuclear
tegy’ nuclear rocket arming of West Germany is contin!
at full speed and the West German militarists already
actuality possess atomic bombs.” ‘

Mounting provocations in West Be
open training of Cuban counter-Te
tionary forces in American uniforms
the United States~army, increasing
tary operations against the people in S
Vietnam directed by American of
show how dangerous the situation
is at the present time.

Reports from various parts
globe show such directly war pr

moves as the following: 2

_ © Stationing of U.S. and NATO troops equipped ©
guns and rockets that could fire nuclear shells and warhe
within 150 yards of the East German border as disclose
MacNamara. a
; ® Provocsetive revanchist demonstrations in West Bel
recently, attended by Adenauer’s Economics Minister phar
Foreign.Minister Schroeder and other Bonn bigwigs. °

e Full-scale army manoeuvres in France similar 10
held in 1938 on the eve of World War Two.

® Manoeuvres of Greek, Turkish and British land,
and naval forces near the borders of Bulgaria. :

® Delivery of rocket launchers and guided missiles
the Japanese armed forces on Niidzima Island, secret tre
of rocket equipment to recently built bases in Rarshimo, ®*
migaura, Iruma and Takoyama, and provision by the ape
ese government of’ two new areas for’ United States milil@
exercises.

Quoting Harvard Professor Henry Kissinger’s article |
the July issue of Foreign Affairs to the effect that if west!
Germany launches preventive war against the Soviet unit
the United States will automatically join her, Pravda Suge”
that “the Pentagon is aware of what the USA is doin
supplying nuclear weapons to West Germany.

“As always”, the paper writes, “the German milil@
are noted for their dangerous blindness regarding the fi
relationship of forces and for adventurism that grows a
the growth of armaments and the number of divisions at
command.”

WORKING CLASS CANDIDATES

of |
ovokit

on aR

The Winnipeg Labor Election Committee has announced
Bill and Mary Kardash will contest the Ward 3 alder
and school board seats in the civic elections of Oct. 24.
Ward 2 aldermanic candidate is Don Currie. Bill Karda5"'
was an MLA for 17 years, will attempt to hold the seat

late Joe Forkin and Mary will seek another 2-year ™*
to represent the working class ward as a school pruste’

Canadian Council of National GrouP
: Invites you to an .

INTERNATIONAL BANQUET
& CONCERT :

RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME, -
600 Campbell Ave. -

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2ist, 6 P.M. |
’ Admission $1.50

Proceeds to finance delegates to CC-ENG.
National Conference in Ottawa.

Oct. 12, 1962—PACIFIC TRIBUNE