Empty Pots and Yankee Plots

There is an unwritten rule of diplomatic courtesy and prudence that officials of one government should never gossip in public about the problems of another. As the White House was reminded last week, there is sound reason for such restraint. During a press breakfast in Washington, White House Director of Communications Herbert Klein commented that he and Presidential Counsellor Robert Finch both came away from their recent swing through six Latin American countries with the "feeling" that Marxist President Salvador Allende Gossens' government in Chile "won't last long."

The careless remark was tailor-made for Allende, who tries at every turn to blame the U.S. for his mounting political and economic difficulties. Worse yet, the comment made headlines in Chile on the day of the ugliest antigovernment demonstration since Allende took office in November 1970.

Cuba, No! The protest began with what might have been a comic re-creation of the Paris housewives' march on Versailles during the early days of the French Revolution in 1789. Last week's demonstration, dubbed "the March of the Empty Pots," was organized by the opposition Christian Democrat and National parties to publicize Chile's food shortages and embarrass Allende on the eve of visiting Cuban Premier Fidel Castro's departure. More than 5,000 Chilean women, dressed in simple cotton prints, minis and sleek pantsuits, headed for downtown Santiago, snarling traffic and filling the spring evening air with the sounds of banging pans, patriotic songs and chants of "Chile, si! Cuba, no!"

Suddenly the peaceful demonstration turned into a brawl. Swarming out from a side street, a battalion of young hoods of the extremist Movement of the Revolutionary Left charged the demonstrators along the broad Avenida Providencia. As the leftists began throwing rocks, right-wing youths wearing hard hats entered the fray swinging wooden clubs. When shield-carrying carabineros finally moved in, they unaccountably aimed most of their tear gas and water cannon at the women. Scrambling in retreat, the marchers shouted "Assassins! Assassins!"

Short but ugly skirmishes crackled through the city. On one street in the commercial district, several women were attacked by toughs from a Communist paramilitary youth group; shopkeepers and middle-aged men in business suits ran to the ladies' aid. In the fashionable Las Condes district, a caravan of right-wing thugs squealed by Allende's residence, firing epithets, water bombs and--some said--a few shots at the guards outside. Another group was stopped by police before it could get to the Cuban embassy, where Castro was hosting a farewell reception.

By 3 a.m., when calm had returned, nearly 150 youths were in jail and close to 100 had been treated for injuries. The government's strong reaction served --perhaps intentionally--to exaggerate the extent of the disorders. Two opposition radio stations were shut down for "tendentious and alarming" reporting of the rioting. Toward dawn, Allende decreed a state of emergency, placing under army control the entire province of Santiago, which encompasses more than a third of Chile's 9,000,0.00 people. General Augusto Pinochet, the local garrison commander, imposed press censorship and a 1 a.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew. "I hope the army does not have to come out," he warned, "because if they do it will be to kill."

Using Adversity. Was Allende really in trouble, as the rioting--not to mention Herb Klein--suggested? Outside experts agree that his situation is still manageable, especially as long as the Chilean military maintains its cherished political neutrality.

Still, Chileans have plenty of reason to be annoyed by the growing food problems. Partly because the Allende regime has not moved forcefully enough against illegal seizures of farms by armed extremists, agricultural production has plummeted. Beef is available one week a month; poultry, eggs and other staples disappear from market shelves by midmorning. Food imports are soaring, and at the rate Allende is spending his country's foreign-exchange reserves --$20 million a month--the treasury will run dry by next spring.

The riots reflected most a hardening of Allende's political opposition. The President is having a particularly difficult time with the broad-based, middle-roading Christian Democrats. Having warned Allende that they would oppose his plan to recast the legislature along socialist lines, the Christian Democrats are now waging a bitter struggle to block a Marxist takeover of the University of Chile. Last week they voted to begin impeachment proceedings against Socialist Interior Minister Jose Toha on grounds that he has failed to curb the illegal excesses of the more violent left-wing extremist groups.

Allende has a talent for turning adversity to advantage, however, and last week's events offered him an opportunity to put it to use. Speaking at a farewell rally for Castro on the day after the march, Allende lingered long and lovingly on Klein's comments and the Santiago riots. "This coincidence of words that are irresponsible and indiscreet but obviously deliberate, with recent internal happenings, is suspicious," he said ponderously. Translation: a damn-Yankee plot must have been behind the angry ladies with the empty pots.

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