Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-19
AN ALLEGED REPUBLIC
TheThreatened Revolution in aSouth
American Country.
THE PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA
Causes 81 the Revolution and Its Prob.
able Outcome-l1Ow the President Sc.
cured and Holds Hts Osfice-Ths CuI.
Sure OF Cascarilla Or Chincoua,
ON TIE STARS Travelling Commissioner.

kNA Foundation from the fact that all public
mention of the revolutionary move
| ment by Bolivian telegraph or newspaper
has been vigorously suppressed and that most
OF the available troops have been sent from La
Paz to various points Of danger It is ex-
| tremely difficult to get reliable information
from either side, since it is the presidents
policy to preserve secrecy and he has absolute
control OF the press and the wires; and also be-
! cause the towns are long distances apart with
| comparatively uninhabited stretches Of deserts
| and mountains between.
The first battle Of consequence between the
insurgents and government troops is expected
| to take place immediately, somewhere in the
nelghborhood OF Sorrato, mining village at
the foot OF the celebrated mountain of the
| same name. about twenty-five miles from Lake
Ilticaca, which great inland sea forms bound
airy line between Bolivia and Peru. 1t is au-
thoritatively stated that large number of La
Paz most prominent citizens have secretly left
20 JOIN the revolutionary forces and that more
than two thousand volunteers have already
come over from Peru. where President Arce is
particularly unpopular, owing to his actions
during the late war between Peru and Chill. at
which time he was Bolivas minister in the
latter country. 1t is asserted that Peruvians
not the government but private parties, will
| supply Gen Comacho, the revolutionary
leader, with funds and arms to carry ON the
war, smuggling both over the border in remote
and unguarded places.
CAUSES FOR DIsAFFEcrIoN.
The Boivians have several causes for dis
affection, the main one being that in spite of
| all protests the president keeps in his cabinet
| a most unpopular Jesuit, sanctimonious but
crafty person who is devoted to his or der and
therefore likely to subserve the public interests
to Its good. The country, too. feels very sore
over the loss of its small strip of sea coast,
which Chill now claims. believing that Arce
sold 1t to that government for value rece ived.
10 be sure. 1t WAS only a worthless bit of land
north OF the Atacama desert and had but one
indifferent port called Cobija, but it furnished
Bolivia with an outlet OF its own to the Pacific,
infinitely better than being compelled to carry
ali exports and imports through rival repub-
| lc and pay whatever duties may be imposed.
Last week two unoffending Americans, min
ing engineers named Thompson and Williams
were assassinated near the Bolivian border by
company OF Peruvlans on their way to join
the revolutionary army simply because they,
the Americans, refused to shout viva Co.
macho!' when commanded. The other day
Bolivian hardware merchant was put into
prison for having sold lot of rifles to unknown
parties presumably rebels. The schemes of
the Latter came to naught in one instance, as
follows: The government has a large amount
OF arms and ammunition stored at Oruro. where
a considerable garrison Is maintained. Comacho
wanted these to carry on the war and his friends
bribed the commanding officers to come over
to their side. Among the latter, however was
traitor of double dye, who, having accepted
the bride and promised allegiance to the enemy
and listened to all their plans, went to the
president and sold his information for more
money, thereby causing the arrest and probable
execution of his fellow officers and rendering
his own life OF little account in the present dis
turbed state Of affairs.
WEALTHY PRESIDENT
The president has one immense advantage
| over Gen. Comacho, for while the latter ia poor
as church mouse, depending for funds upon
friends nearly as poor as himself, Arce pos
sesses a very large fortune. the monthly divi.
dend from his mines alone being sufficient to
| carry on the conflict to its bitter end should
the public treasury fail him. Comacho NAV
be best described as q WORKOUT politician,
whose 'day" was long since supposed to be
done IN Bolivia; chronic revolutionlst, who
has given the country more than one scare in
time past Some years ago he was banished
from his native land on account of political
mlsdemeanors, but 1t Is not impossible that he
may yet have the pleasure of turning the tables
and sending his banisher into exile.
familiar figure on the streets of La Paz ID
President Area corpulent, dark-eyed. mid
dle-aged gentleman, in plain black suit and tall
silk hat, always attended by body guard of
four or five gold-bedizened soldiers. He was
not called to the executive chair by grateful
dered in peace or war, but he seems to take
pride in the fact that he bought his elevation
by the power OF wealth. In his electioneering
speeches he did not hesitate to say. ..This is a
campaign of money. and for money alone He
who has the most money can pay most for
votes and will be likely to do most for the peo-
pie after his election" And he has done
good deal in the way of expanding his private
means for public works-where his own inter-
ests were also involved; as for example, the
l a. nf IL,
mines and in other parts Of the country where
he has property.
woULD-BE ASSASSIN CHECKED
"Uneasy lies the head that wears u crown"
and Arce's caput is no exception. There is al
ways a revolt somewhere, and schemes for his
assassination are frequent Not long ago
young man belonging to one of the leading
families Of the interior was sent to La Paz for
the express purpose Of killing the president.
Finding no other opportunity for accomplish
ing his mission, he obtained an invitation to a
banquet that was about to be given at the
palace; but beforehand incautiously wrote to
his hackers detailing the plan, saying that he
should shoot the president in the course of
the evening and endeavor to escape in the
confusion that would ensue.
The letter was intercepted, as suspected cor
| respondence is certain to be in this country,
and fell into the hands Of the intended victim.
Nothing was said about it, however; the ban
quet came on according to program; the young
man, pale but resolute, was there revolver in
pocket. When the guests were seated around
the table, waiting for the first course to appear
the president courteously sent silver saIyer
to the would-be murderer, on which lay his
own open letter. "Now," said Arce in q cheer
full voice, sis your opportunity to assassinate
me. Why don't you begin?'
The young man, quite taken by surprise
| stammered some inandibie excuse. "Ah, you
| falter," said the president, in the same light
tone. "This is no place for towards. You have
two hours in which to leave the country, II
you are found at the end Of that time or any
time thereafter while / am at the head of az
fairs, you will be shot on sight"
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CAPITAL
The constitutional capital of Bolivia il not
La Paz, where the government is now located:
but Sucre. formerly called Chuquisaca- pleas.
ant little city away of in the interior, to be
reached only by long journey on horse or
mule back. Though at an elevation of 10. 600
feet-on the ridge that forms the water part
ing between the Madeira and Paraguay river
systems-it has q much milder climate than
that of La Paz, and il altogether more asree-
able place OF residence-except for presidents
who end it more convenient to live near the
border, SO that they can skip out in case of
emergency. When Bolivia gained her indie pend
ence, the first congress convened in the village of
Chuquisaca, and having changed its name TO
Sucre in honor Of local celebrity they de-
creed in the constitution that 1t shouid remain
the federal capital for Ill time to come.
Naturally the people Of Sucre are much in.
censed becsuse the seat Of governments has
n I.~k