from a special correspondent The following report which appeared in the February 23rd issue of the New York Times gives the low down on how Cheddi Jagan was overthrown in British Guiana: Central Intelligence Agency operatives, working under the cover of an American labor union, helped organize strikes in British Guiana in 1962 and 1963 against former Prime Minister Cheddi Jagan, informed labor sources said yesterday. The sources said the International Affairs Department of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, was act-= ually run by two C.I.A. agents, who operated out of the union's former headquarters in Washington with the knowlege of the union leadership. The union used C.I.A. funds for 4 years from 1959 until May of 196 to finance its overseas activities, mainly in Latin America. The relationship with the intelligence agency was completely severed in 196) by Jerry Wurf, the current president of the federation, who defeated Arnold Zander for the presidency at the union's conference in 196). Mr. Wurf disbanded the international section. Dr. Jagan was replaced by Forbes S, Burnham, the current and pro-American Prime Minister of the former British colony in elections in December of 196h. The Kennedy Administration had feared that Dr. Jagan would transform Guyana into another Cuba if he managed to retain power. The riots, strikes and racial strife, some of which were reportedly instigated by Mr. Burnham's faction, undouctedly played a major part in bringing about Dr. Jagan's downfall. The sources said C.I.A. agents operating under the cover of the American union helped pro-Burnham forces and public employees unions organize strikes against Dr. Jagan during both 1962 and 1963.
The sources said the American union's relationship with the C.I.A. began in 1959 when the federation's leadership sought funds from private sources to finance training programs in organizing unions, co-operatives and other similar societies in Africa. The union leadership was at first unaware that the funds were C.I.A. money but when this was learned shortly after, the union leadership decided to maintain the relationship because funds were not available elsewhere. Although the initial grant was a small one of $7,500, the funds were steadily expanded until the C.I.A. was supplying about $60,000 a year by 1961 through the Gotham Foundation, Much of the funds were used, the sources said, to help 12 to 15 public service unions in the Caribbean and Latin America, which were affiliated to the American federation's international branch, to train their members in organizational techniques ‘and to finance educational pro= grams, Unions in Argentina, Peru, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago were affiliated. It is searcely conceivable that this could take place without the knowledge of the Labour Government. We must insist that Mr. Greenwood, the Colonial Secretary during the period of the C.I.A. activity, answer the question: Did he know of the C.I.A. activity? If he did why did he not speak out and refused to have any dealings with the C.I.A.-sponsored Forbes Burnham party? If he didn't know, txere is something fantastically wrong in the way Cabinet Ministers are briefed to take decisions and he must say so,