Evening star., 1898-12-24

new war vessels from Europe in case tie
settlement should not come off. President
Julio A. Roca has long been noted as one
of the strongest men in South American
politics. He has heen president before, has
been minister of war and has made himself
noted as a general in the Argentine army.
1t was largely due to him that Patagonia
was thrown open to settlement and he has
the reputation OF being great Indian fight
er. When he was minister of war now
more than twenty years ago he led an
army to Patagonia against the Indians
and conquered them. ! have heard 1t said
that the victory was easily won and that
the fighting was mere bGtchery the part
OF the Argentines. the so-called savages
making resistance However this may
be, President Roca got great fame from his
campaign. and he is today looked upon az
the General Grant of the Argentine Repub-
lie Roca has been compared to Grant in
character He is the still strong man of
the country. with enough nerve to carry
out his ends without regard to who goes
down before him He is a very quiet man
He possesses the golden gift of silence and
believes in the old Spanish proverb which
states that flies will not go into a shut
mouth"
\ Stable Government Promised.
Roca's election means that matters will
bc "to'4S III iHc genuine IUI SlA years
TO come. The president is, you know, elect
ed for six years, and he reigns that long
provided there is no revolution. Roca has
the army behind him, and he will not toll
crate opposition. He has ALWAYS been a
fighter He has at the same time been a
diplomat. and his cabinet has been chosen
with the idea of harmonizing the factions
He has the confidence of the foreign capi-
taiists- who believe that ne will maintain
peace ana peace in the Argentine means
progress.
President Roca is now fifty-five years of
age. He comes of good family. bcing
native of the province of Tucuman in the
northern part OF the republic. He is
straight, well-formed. broad-shouldered
man, with face that would not look for
eign in Washington or London, although it
would be striking anywhere. President
Roca is more like an Englishman or an
American than an Argentine. You would
Imagine him descendant of Anglo-Sax ons
rather than of Latins. His face is almost
fair. The forehead is high and broad the
eyes bright and piercing, the nose large
end the under jaw strong. He is simple in
his dress and manners and walks about
The streets of Buenos Ayres like an ordi-
nary citizen. He has never cultivated the
arts of the salon, nor has he pronounced
literary tastes, although he is well read in
history and keeps posted on political mat
tiers. He is more of a statesman and a SOL
dier than a carpet knight. and he has been
Called the past master of the political sci
ence of the Argentine.
Elections in South America
General Roca was chosen president This
means that he was the strongest man Of
the small coterie which runs the Argentine
Republic There are no such elections in
South America as in the United States
The country is supposed to be a republic
end the people to have the right to vote
But the truth is that few families con-
troll everything political. and that the ballot
boxes are always stuffed. Elections are