Communists at Bogota
Mr. Marshall has identified last week's revolt in Colombia as a -manifestation of Communist world policy. If it had not been for his statement it would have been right to take reports of Communist inspiration for the revolt with all reserve, at any rate until the censorship in Bogota had been relaxed and more genuine news had reached the outside world. But Mr. Marshall is on the spot and is far from being an alarmist by nature. It is true that in the past South American politicians have found it convenient to stick the Com- munist label on to any individual or movement which they wish to discredit, but it is also true that a genuine Communist alliance has long existed in all the South and Central American republics, and its leaders are as tough and opportunist as their colleagues anywhere else in the world. It is still not clear whether the murder of Senor Gaitan, as well as the subsequent violence, was a part of the Com- munist conspiracy, or whether it was a chance accident out of which the Communists were able to make capital. Obviously, they were the only people to gain from a break-up of the Pan-American Con- ference, whether or not they succeeded in forcing a Government of their own colour into power at Bogota at the same time. They have failed in both objects ; the Conference will go on, with an abridged agenda, and the Conservative Government is back in the saddle in Bogota. The best result the Colombian revolt could have would be to hasten genuine economic and military co-operation between the Latin American republics ; the worst result would be if any of their governments were tempted to use the genuine Communist scare for suppressing any sections of their political oppositions they happen not to like.
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