BOLSHEVISM IN SOUTH AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 250, 16 July 1919, Page 7

BOLSHEVISM IN SOUTH AMERICA

NEW TROUBLES IN THE CONTINENT OF , UNREST ACTIVITIES OF RED EMISSARIES News has reached Panama from Nicaragua to theiefi'ect that emissaries from tile Russian Bolsheviki have arrived in Nicaragua with the intention of making that country headquarters for the Bolshevist propaganda in Central and South America (writes the special correspondent of the "Christian Science Moni-. tor")., Bolshevism has succeeded the German propaganda in these countries with startling promptness and suspicious ease. The disturbed condition in Costa Rica, which has been .reflected in great hardships suffered by the labouring classes, has led to sporadic attempts at outbreaks which only the stern military government has managed to hold in control The German population in Salvador 7 and Honduras is strung and highly discontented, and its ranks have been swollen by Germans who left Guatemala because of tho strong anti-Gorman attitude of the Government there.

In Colombia, .President Suarez was elected on tho Conservative ticket, and tho Liberal opposition to him lias beI gun to take the form of Labour agita- | tion. Some weeks ago a violent outi break occurred in Bogota. In Ecuador, the part)' which suffered in the revolution when the late President Alfaro was murdered, is highly discontented, and likely to join hands with revolutionary emissaries. In Peru, a section of tho public destroyed parts of the Central Railway, burned railway cars and stations, and engaged in hostile demonstrations in many places, last month. Peru is also in the throes of a presidential election, in which the Labour question is an acute iss,ue. Chile and Argentina are the principal hotbeds 1 of ultra-Social-, istic propaganda in South America, which served by numerous anarchistic periodicals. . , In every country in South America, except Brazil, there is a group of -able and educated peoplo who have suffered from 'revolutionary_ activities of late years, who lost their property, and are ripe for any agitation which might enablo them to get into poivcr again. South Americans are also much mors accustomed to violent methods in changing j their Governments than the United States. South and Central. American Governments, however, are probably more summarily severe on disturbing foreigners than the United States. General Tinoco, in Costa Rica,, promptly ships them out of tho country, or puts them in gaol. Tho Colombian peoplo .are the most conservative in South America, and Bolshevism will nut find much favourable soil there. Ir. the other countries it is probable that the Governments will take their cue largely from the attitude of the United States, although Honduras aifti Salvador are commonly said to bo strongly disposed to sympathise with | Mexico, and to be ready to follow the j leid of that Republic. i