N. Y.Pro-War Marth TH£ A ResoundingFiasto Md~~~e!A!! By Barry Sheppard later scaled down to 10,000. The from the department of highways, police said 6,840. One reporter for Vol. 31 - No. 19 Monday, May 8, 1967 Price 10¢ NEW YORK - A march down etc. the New York Times counted Fifth Avenue in support of the A handful of despondent-looking 3,380, and another Times reporter, war in Vietnam on April 29, billed some blocks away, 3,717. marchers walked behind the "Wa­ by its sponsors as the "answer" ter Department" banner - no to the massive April 15 marches In a similar "Loyalty" march in against the war, was a dismal Brooklyn, police put the figure at doubt city employes dependent for flop. The fiasco clearly demon­ 4,500, just about the same figure their jobs on patronage, dragooned the Times reporter there gave. PeruvianGuards strated the lack of popular support out for the occasion. There were for this war. Even if one accepts .the police a few other such groups from The pro-war march, organized estimates - which were designed other city government depart­ by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, to minimize the massive antiwar took the form of the annual march and maximize the pitiful ments. pro-war march, the antiwar fight­ Besides VFW units, there were BeatUp Blanco "Loyalty Day" parade. "Loyalty Day" itself was set up in 1947 ers outdid the war fanatics by contingents from some military (World Outlook) - The Paris rid of Hugo Blanco. In view of the as the "answer" to May Day, the about 9 to 1! The real figures high schools, military reserve office of World Outlook learned worldwide publicity in the case, international workers' holiday. would put the ratio at around 40 to 50 to 1 against the war. units, and sea cadets. One dis­ April 23 that Hugo Blanco was it can be highly embarrassing for Predicted Mass Turnout gusting note was the cynical use set upon by armed guards at the them when the hearing opens be­ Even many VFW members and of the poverty program to corral El Front6n fortress prison at Lima, fore the Supreme Council of Before their march, the VFW units didn't support the pro-war some youngsters from the ghetto Peru, early in the month, and Military Justice. From their view­ leaders predicted that they would action. William A. Tietjen, chair­ to march in uniform. brutally beaten. He is in the hos­ point it would be very convenient bring out over 150,000 to demon­ man of the parade, said, "lots of pital and it is not known how if Blanco were to die before the strate support for Washington's units did not show up - I don't Along the March grave his condition may be. council sits. criminal actions in Vietnam. This, know why." The march was stretched out as The beating coincides with a This was what happened to they said, would top the figure of After looking over the fiasco, 125,000 the police gave for the much as possible - so it wouldn't UPI dispatch dated April 7, ac­ Maximo Velando, who was re­ Mayor Lindsay, seeing few votes be over with in 20 minutes. The cording to which the prison autho­ ported by the authorities to have massive antiwar march. (Actual­ there, and mindful of the senti- ly, there were nearly one-half mil­ thin, stringy line of the parade rities claimed that the famous taken "poison" in his cell when was watched for a while by some in reality he was beaten to death. lion in the April 15 march.) IUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllflllllllltll peasant leader had been taken to President Johnson himself gave people strolling or bicycling in the hospital "gravely ill" from a Daniel Mayer, president of the the pro-war march an assist by CHE GUEVARA SPEAKS. Our Central Park, before they went "lung ailment." League of Human Rights, at once on to better things. A few hun­ went to the Peruvian embassy in bringing Oenetal Westmoreland next issue will feature the What Happened into New York from Vietnam on complete text of Che Gue• dred right wing weirdos applaud­ Paris to protest the beating of ed from the sidelines and from the The true story is as follows. Hugo Blanco. the eve of. the demonstration. The vara's major declaration on commander of the aggression in reviewing stand set up at 69th St. Blanco, called by the director of Jean-Paul Sartre and Laurent Vietnam made a flag-waving Vietnam and the world strug• These were the types that cheered the prison, went to see him, cros­ Schwartz cabled immediately to speech in favor of the war and when a voice over the loudspeak­ sing a bit of ground which had the Military Council. gle against imperialism. ers announced that the "purpose attacking the right of free speech been declared "Military Territory." Friends of Hugo Blanco in Lima ,11\lllllltHll!llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllltlllllltlllllllllllllltlllllllllllll of today's demonstration is to de­ of those opposed to the war. A guard brought him to atten­ are urging immediate action every­ Even Stalin's daughter dutiful­ stroy Communism!" tion. He was on forbidden ground. ment expressed April 15, gave his where as they are in great fear ly did her bit to aid the march. The mood of those marchers Blanco said he did not know this that the military authorities. are She graciously can.celled a sched­ opinion of the parade. "It's a who took the whole thing serious­ since the area was not posted. As parade," he said. "A parade is a planning to have the famous pri­ uled TV itl.terview so as not to ly was expressed by one embit­ they talked, a captain of the guards soner killed. interfere with reportage of West­ parade is a parade." tered rightist veteran. Marching appeared. He ordered the guard But even the numbers don't past the empty sidewalks, he Protests should be sent to the moreland's diatribe - most prob­ to beat up Blanco .. This was done Consejo Supremo de Justicia, and ably after the word came down to begin to give the real picture. blurted out: "It's not the country with such brutality that the victim The Spring Mobilizaion was a that's wrong. It's the people. The to President Belaunde Terry, Lima, her from Washington. fell to the ground where the guard Peru. mass outpouring. Throngs of cit­ Communists have too damned continued to work him over. A Politicians Attended izens surged through the streets much to say." fellow political prisoner, Eduardo along the line of march to the Juan Creus Gonzalez, sought to The Daily News campaigned for War Sentiment Lacking the pro-war parade. Mayor Lind­ huge mass rally. help Blanco to his feet. SpringMobilization say, Senator Javits and Cardinal The "Loyalty Day" parade was The utter failure of this march, Several more guards came up Spellman attended. And, in con­ not exactly a surging throng. The especially when compared to the and the captain ordered them to trast to the overcast skies and thin group of John Birchers and massive April 15 march, is a strik­ beat Creus, too. The two prisoners SlatesNat'I Parley chill breezes on April 15, the VFW other ultra-rightists who joined the ing demonstration of the growing sought to defend themselves but had a balmy spring day. parades, was filled out by VFW unpopularity of the war and of caught sight of several soldiers So how did the "Loyalty" units, all kinds of marching bands, the fact tht even among those lined up with machine guns ready InWashington, D.C. squads do? The first estimate of drum majorettes, fire engines, who are nominally for the war, to fire. NEW YORK - The Spring Mo­ the sponsors was 60,000. This was sanitation trucks, some trucks except for the ultra-right, there bilization Committee to End the is not strong sentiment of the kind Provocation War in Vietnam will send a dele­ that gets people out into the streets Blanco and Creus realized that gation to see President Johnson to demonstrate. The antiwar move­ a provocation was probably in­ May 17 and will hold a national ment, on the other hand, has that volved and tried to calm down conference in Washington the kind of strong support - support the guards. They eventually suc­ weekend of May 20-21. which is growing and deepening. ceeded in getting out of their The conference will hear reports The pro-war forces are now try­ clutches. on and make an assessment of the ing to recoup some of their losses It was immediately after this giant April 15 Mobilization against from the April 29 fiasco. There that the authorities announced that the war. It will also discuss future will be another pro-war march on Blanco is "gravely ill." But no one actions. Participation will be wel­ May 13, and the Daily News, is allowed to see him and it is not comed from antiwar organizations with its circulation of 3,000,000, known whether he is actually re­ and activists. Registration will is out campaigning stronger this ceiving medical attention. take place Sat., May 20, 8: 30 - time. But even if they get ten In the opinion of the French 10 a.m., at Hawthorne School, 501 times the amount they got today, Committee of Solidarity with the I St., S.W., Washington, D.C. More they won't come close to match­ Victims of Repression in Peru, it detailed information may be ob­ ing the spectacular turnout of could well be that the military tained from the Spring Mobiliza­ April 15.