Banana

Because the number of banana eaters in the U. S. is practically a daily constant, and because from the banana comes such useful commodities as banana oil, the United Fruit Co. (Manhattan) has developed many square miles of banana plantations near Santa Marta. Here the company owns a railroad (28 miles), has its own telegraph and radio stations, maintains a hospital, employs 200 U. S. citizens, about 19,000 native workers.

Last week in the course of growing and shipping bananas 27 workers were killed, more than 100 wounded. The cause of the casualties was a strike; the cause of the strike, as usual, was ascribed to Reds.

So used is Colombia to labor agitation, that recently President Miguel Abadia Mendez was given the right to declare martial law at a moment's notice when labor troubles threatened. This he did.

President Miguel Abadia Mendez declared martial law, peace was restored, and from Santa Marta sailed a laden ship owned and operated by the United Fruit.