STRIKE CALLED OFF BY COLOMBIAN UNION LEADERS

Grey River Argus, 17 April 1948, Page 5

STRIKE CALLED OFF BY COLOMBIAN UNION LEADERS

(Rec. 11.5). BOGOTA, April 16. The Colombian Government radio has announced that the Colombian Workers’ Federation, last night, called off the general strike which it had ordered immediately after the assassination of the Liberal Party leader, Dr Gaitan, touched off a revolution.

.As the result of the decision, all of the factories and the railways are expected to begin functioning again today. >

Sabotage of Brazil’s

Ammunition Supplies Suspected After Explosions

(Received April 16, 9.5 p.m.). RIO DE JANEIRO, April 16.

Explosions have occurred in a Brazil army ammunition dump. They lasted for about three hours. They were followed by many fires. The United Press says: “Organised sabotage is suspected to be responsible for this disaster, and for the recent series of disasters which have occurred in the military establishments throughout Brazil. Several arrests are reported to have been made in the immediate vicinity of the scene of the explosions”

Germany are being repeated everywhere to-day.

This general Communist offensive draws no distinction between left and right wing Socialists. Though S. Nenni still talks . of. solidarity with left wing Socialists in the Eastern bloc, even his closest friends there have recently been removed from power by the Communists. BLUNT DECLARATION After naming several of these, Mr Healy went on: “We reminded the P.S.I. leaders of these facts and said bluntly, The Communists have declared their intention of destroying Democratic Socialism. Therefore no party allied with the Communists can remain a member of the international ' Socialist community. Moreover your present policy must lead to your own destruction. What makes you think you will survive where every other' Socialist Party which attempted to work with the Communists has already been swallowed up? “It might perhaps be possible to enter into temporary alliance with the Communists for purely tactical reasons—but only if you are much stronger than they? In Italy to-day your co-operation gives every advantage to the Communist Party which is much larger, better disciplined and unimpeded by any moral scruples. By fighting elections on common lists you make it certain that the Communists will win twice as many seats as y r ou”. "The P.S.I. leader admitted the justice of our argument, but claimed that within three years they might be able to stand on their own feet. We told them their attitude was showing defeatism in the face of recent events in Eastern Europe. We left them with the warning that they could no longer count on the support of any Western Socialists if they remained in thrall to the bitterest enemies of social democracy”. Mr Healy concluded: "I have repeated the' gist of our conversation, not simply to refute the accusations of ‘avanti’, but.to give ordinary Italian Socialists an opoortunity to consider their own position before the blindness of their leaders involves them in a catastrophe. Fortunately the existence of the P.S.P.I. (Partito Socialist! Paroratoni Italians) and of the List of Socialist Unity gives the democratic Socialists in Italy opportunity for exercising their influence in the elections; by joining the Communists in common lists the P.S.I. has withdrawn that opportunity from its own supporters. For this reason the list of Socialist unity has obtained the good wishes of all Socialist parties .in Western Europe”.

Communists and Italian Colonies

LONDON, April 14

The Italian Communist Party, allied with a section of the Socialists, who in their election campaign are taking a strongly anti-British line, are making much of . the Russian pronouncement in favour of the return to Italy of her colonies. Viscount Jowitt. the British Lord Chancellor (a Member- of the Cabinet for Judicial Affairs) who recently made a most successful good-will visit to Rome, replied to this campaign in a broadcast on April 9. “Oddly enough,” said Lord Jowitt, “the Communists have taken Garibaldi as their hero. But,” he commented, “Garibaldi was a fighter for liberty if ever there was one, and he said there should be a curse upon Italy if ever she were to break her friendship with England.” Lord Jowitt continued: “The four great powers, France, the U.S.A., Russia and this country, referred- this colonial question to a commission of experts who are now taking evidence and have not yet made their report. The matter is therefore sub-judice. “This makes it all the more remarkable that Russia has already stated that she favours the return to' Italy of all her colonies. What would vou think of a judge who, before the evidence had been completed pronounced a public decision on a case? For that is precisely what has happened here.”

The Socialist Dilemma Lord Jowitt remonstrated with Signor Nenni, the Leader of the Socialist group which decided (rather reluctantly he thought) to form “a. popular’ front” with the Communists at next week’s elections. He reminded Signor Nenni that experience alike in Poland, Roumania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and how Czechoslovakia had shown that “if you go for a ride with the Communists you are apt to find yourself in the position of the young lady of Riga who went for a ride on a tiger” (tiger returned alone.) Lord Jowitt also spoke with Signor Saragat, the Leader of the other Socialist group, whom he was instrumental'in getting invited to the Socialist Conference in London on the Marshall Plan in place of Signor Nenni who had originally, been asked as the Senior Italian Socialist. “Like the British Labour Party,” said Lord Jowitt, “these Socialists represent both workers and professional classes. “An effective answer to Communism,” Lord Jowitt concluded, “depends on whether a free system can show itself capable of action to solve the problems of the day.” “To oppose Communism by mere inaction must sooner or lafer lead to the triumph of Communism. I hope and believe that the group of parties which Signor de Gasperi (the Christian Democrats’ Prime Minister) leads, will after winning the election, undertake the necessary measures of reform. They will then, I believe, gain the support of many Socialists now in the Nenni camp.” “The Italians have had too recent and too bitter an experience of totalitarianism to make it likely that they will try it again.” . . “May the Italian people enjoy happiness, prosperity and liberty. May our two countries face the future together. May our friendship never again be disturbed”.