rE NEW YORK TIMES, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1970
Chile Buries Slain General as Martyr
that are typical of the central
areas of Santiago. Women left
SANTIAGO, Chile, Oct. 26—
their -flower stalls at the edge
Tens of thousands of Chileans
of the grey Mapocho River and
gave a martyr's funeral today
threw handfuls of petals over
to Maj. Gen. Rene Schneider
the coffin as it passed.
Chereau, Commander in Chief
of the army, whose name the
He Was Not Well Known
public barely knew a year ago.
Perhaps
as a reflection of
The general was shot three
the Chilean tradition that has
times last Thursday during a
keot the army out of public
terrorist attack on his autolife, General Schneider was not
mobile that has been ina well known man. He was
terpreted as the first step in a
born Dec. 31, 1913, in the inplan, which miscarried, to block
dustrial city of Concepcion on
the election of Dr. Salvador
Chile's southern coast and was
Allende as Chile's first Marxist
graduated from the military
president.
academy here in 1932. As an
Police officials, who asserted
infantry officer, instructor and
today that their investigation
commander, he served for 37
was practically complete, have
years out of the public eye
identified their top suspect as
until one year ago today.
being an extreme rightist.
On Oct. 26, 1969, General
Newspapers that supported
Schneider took command of the
Dr. Allende's candidacy have
army five days after a Santiago
said that hte assassination of
General Schneider was part of
regiment had mutinied under
a plan to provoke a military
Uniied Press International the leadership of Roberto Viaux,
coup to prevent Dr. Allende
general who recentRoberto Viaux, a retired alybrigadier
from taking office Nov. 3.
retired. General Vieux, police
Dr. Allende was formally brigadier general, is being officials said today, was being
elected hy the Chilean Congress sought in investigation of sought for questioning in the
in its runoff vote on Saturday, slaying of the army chief. investigation of the
attack on
and General Schneider died the
General Schneider.
next morning.
thing like this, any assassina- The tall, erect and nearly
tion of a political leader in bald Commander in Chief took
U.S. Silent on Election
the army away from politics
Chile. it is shocking."
WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (Reu- President Eduardo Frei Mon- and punished every politically
ters) — The State Department talva and President-e
Allen- motivated breach of discipline
spokesman declined comment de were at the headlect
of the 10 among officers, whether, their
today on the election by Con- pallbearers who carried Gensympathies were with the left
gress of Dr. Salvador Allende, a eral Schneider's coffin out of or the right. In public, he simply
Marxist, as the new President Santiago's downtown cathedral refused to be drawn into taking
of Chile. The spokesman, John after Raul Cardinal Silva. The sides in Chile's tenuous politics.
F. King, said: "We won't have Archbishop of Santigago, had along the nearly one-and-a-halfanything to say about that."
celebrated a funeral mass. mile route to the Army Pan"He gave his life as a martyr .The coffin, covered with the theon, where the general's body
to democracy and to his devo- red, white and blue blocks of was entombed twof and a half
tiontotheinstitutionsofhis
the Chilean flag and carrying hours after the funeral services
country," said Defense Minis- the general's dress tunic, his began.
ter Sergio Ossa, in graveside cap and his sword on its top,
oration in Santigago's General was slid onto a gun carriage.
Cemetery this afternoon.
A military band played ChopMr. Ossa—underlining Gen- in's Funeral March, and the
eral Schneider's role in heal- carriage was drawn by cadets
ing the divisions in the 25,000- from Chile's three service
man Chilean Army in the last academies.
year and in keeping it out of The crepe-draped standards
politics while it was being of army regiments moved
urged to intervene against Dr. ahead and President Frei and
Allende—was reflecting only Dr. Allende walked behind to
one of the reasons for the huge carriage.
turnout of Chileans along the
Thousands of men, women
funeral route.
and schoolchildren watched the
The ‘other was cited by a carriage and the cortege pass
young Chilean businessman lowed by delegations from
during the funeral. "I'm 31 schools and factories as it
years old," he said. "In all my moved past the squat and
life there has never been any- slightly dilapidated buildings
By JOSEPH NOVITSKI
Special to The New York Times
See Jack Anderson,
22 liar 72 - filed
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