◆ SpookStack

SEC T/ held in 1976. This last option had been decided upon, and a proposal was prepared for submission to the 40 Committee by the middle of 'Nay; its approval was, however, delayed by vario'us circumstances. In August the 40 Committee finally approved the proposal, which provided $1,000, 000 to support the opposition parties through June 1974; it also included some funds for the private sector, but passage of these funds was made contingent o'n the concurrence fo'f. . the Ambassador and the' Department of State which was not-given. This approval was rescinded after the September military. intervention. -. While these deliberations were taking place, it became increasingly apparent that three years of political polarization and economic chaos had strained the fabric of Chilean society to the breaking point. Strikes and violence intensified and on 24 Au'gust the' Station cabled an appraisal of the political situation, noting that this appeared to be a crucial time in the revolutionary process being pursued by the Marxist govern- ment, and a time when significant opposition pressures could affect its future. Some elements of the opposition, notably , ;the truckers, 'were hoping to provoke an outright military coup, but the broad concensus of the opposition was seeking only to bring about the reentrance of the military into the asked Headquarters to take s oundings to determine whether vided to the opposition, including maximum support could be pro Mar'xist government, this time with real power. The Station'-. RET+~~