COMMUNISM BREEDS IN SOUTH AMERICA

Chronicle (Levin), 30 December 1946, Page 8

COMMUNISM BREEDS IN SOUTH AMERICA

GREATER CHAXLENGE TO C.S. / Hereivod Wuiulay, 10 p.m. NEW YORK, 1)ok. 28. Oommunist parties loyal to Moscow have made gye&tor progross and t-on stitute - a greater ehallenge to l.'niled States in Eatin Americu than ever was the case wlth the Nazi and Eascist parties loyal to Berlin aiul Itome and Madrid. Tliis is the opinion of the New Vork Times eorrespondent/ Alr. • Bi uLwroiu-o, who ra-enlly returned attei a four nionths ' tour of the eapitals oi all 1. atiu- Anierica n republics atul who has begun a sories of artioles on ( 'oinmunism in South America. AI r. Lawrence says thero seoms iitllc likeliliool that the Communists arv ready or wish to assume formal polm cal power in aiiy Eatin American countrv in tlie near future. Their iui portance at tlie inoiiront iies in thon consistent propaganda against tluwestern deniocracies ' foreign policy and in support of foreign policy move.bv the Eoviot. In 1(5 Eatin-Ainericai. republics where active Coninuniisi parties are operating, the total mcni liership niay be estimated at 300, 000 to •100,000. Comnuinists exercise thv balanee of power in Cuha aiul Chile where Kigiitist parties are divided and confused. Thcv are making rapid oi ganising progross in Bra/.il. Coninnuust adherents play an iniportaiit role in growing Labour moveiuents in Lentral and South America. Mr. Lawrence found no credible evidence that foreign funtls were being used to build up the Latin-Americau parties. Leadership is also nati\e to the hemisphere though inost toji leaders at oue tiuie or another have been traiued in ltussia or France. J.atin Amerieau (.'ommunists constitute a liighly vocal dissident bloc impeding Continental solidarity. Tliev eontend on the oue liaml that Lnited States sh on 1(1 give the Soviet the atom liomb §ut it should not give modern American arms and military leadership to other American republics as part of ihe effort Pu coordinate hemispheric defence. Tliis vast Coniniunist organising effort, umlertaken in the interests ot the Soviet Union and in an effort to introduce the Soviet political svsteui on tlie American continent, is a direci chnllenge to tlie Alonroe doctrine.