Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-05
URUGUAY REVOLUTION
It is Really "a Serious At
mi
40 fair.
CHANGE 10 IN FEELING
WAS AGAINST UNITED STATES IN
SPANISH WAR.
IL.
Trtr
Then an Effort Was Made to Secure
Its Observation-Disclosures to
End Present Strife.
CHANGE d d IN FEELING

| OF the United States. The revolution Is q
| very serious affair of the present day. The
| protectorate was 4 suggestion OF the past.
| Yet the past was not so remote The suG-
| gesdon came not long after the war with
| Spain. 1t is an interesting chapter OF
| South American history.
| During the Spanish-American war the
/ sentiment in Montevideo and the rest of
| Uruguay was against the United States.
| This was due largely. as in other South
| American countries. to the large Spanish
| commercial colonies and the ties with
| Spain The commercial cause was that
Uruguay had large trade In jerked beef
| with Cuba.
| Peace had hardly been made until a
| change came over the ruling classes in
| Uruguay. They began looking to the
| United States with friendly eyes. Then
complications threatened growing out OF
| the strained relations between Chile and
! Argentina and the possibility that gen
| eral South American war might result, in
| which Brazil would be involved If that
! happened it was clear that the territorial
| integrity of Uruguay would be endangered
| Chile might might not attempt to send
| warshipS IN the Plate to attack Buenos
| Ayres, but 1t was certain that warships
| would be gathered in the harbor of Monte
! video
| Movement to Seek Protection.
The fear of Uruguay's leading men was
| that the belligerents might come to truce
by appropriating her territory and dividing
| it among themselves With this prospect
! in mind the movement was started to seek
! the protection of the United States. I do
| not know that the suggestion or the over
| ture ever got as far Washington. though
| something may have been heard of 1t I'M
ofhcially by the State Department. 1t GER
| talnly was known in South America. for I
n ut Of
u capitals, and the details differed very
| little.
| OF course, the United States could have
| given no encouragement to such a request
| 1t has uniform policy in all these South
American troubles of acting only in case
| the request is ma de by both parties to the
controversy. Its good offices are then ex-
! erted In the.icases of Uruguay wanting to
| come under the wing of this ceuntry there
| could hardly be two parties to the contro-
| versy. and therefore nothing which could
be referred TO the United States with a
| view TO securing it's good offices. Yet
| moral influence was exerted and the
| mere fact that Uruguay was known 10 have
taken the attitude it did helped to smoo. he
over the troubles. That was one of the re-
| suits of the prestige of the United States
| which grew out of the war with Spain. 1t
| should comfort the ,anti-expansiOnists who
are so afraid that the extension of the in
| huenCe OF this country In South America is
| bad thing.
The war cloud between Chile and Argen-
| tina blew away. Then Uruguay. having no
fear of Interference on the part of her
neighbors. got ready for domestic strug-
gle 1 saw the symptoms of it while there
year ago, but vas assured that the revo-
| tnuately this Information proved to
be incorrect. and in the beginning
! Of this year the appeal to arms by one
faction was made. The trouble began with
! one of the caudillos. chiefs in a province
! bordering on Brazil. He was not willing
! to accept the established order and refused
to be party TO the compromise arrange
ments which We're being made in Monte
| Yideo.
| In that city the opposition to the admin
| tstration announced that while il was con-
| tident it could overturn the government out
of patriotic motives it would not do So
| This was hailed with delight by the for
| eign commercial interests. But the oppO-
sitlon in the country districts insisted on
starting the instruction. and it is difficult
| TO Know how much sympathy and aid it
| gets from partisans in Montevideo The
pity of it all is that many believe the reyo-
| luton could have been avoided and UTru-
| quay saved from the enormous loss which
| its commerce and industry is suffering.
A Notion Dispelled.
The notion that all South American revo-
lutions are opera bouffe would be quickly
| dispeiled by knowledge or personal expert
ence with one of them in Uruguay Cattle
| raising and Notwithstanding is the chief
| try has been described as a vast shambles.
Cowboys and cattle slaughterers are pretty
| vigorous men physically and their nacific
| instincts are not developed by their man
ner of life They are fighters and whenever
| an encounter is reported bet wen tho gov
eminent troops and the revolutionists it ma v
| be accepted that the conflict has been a
| bloody one.
The present chief executive of Uruguay Is
| OrdoneZ Battle. He was elected as tho rem
started off by trying to harmonize ali fac
lions and some of the moderates so-caIIed
| were invited to become members of his ad-
mnistration Now he is said to be deter
mined that the revolution shall be fought To
a finish and that If the government triumphs
| there shall be no more question of an oppo-
SitiOn party.
| l called on President Ordonez one day in
| company with Minister Finch. PhysicalIv
| he was the biggest president | ever have
| seen, a giant in stature with the arms and
shoulders of a prize fighter His profess
| sion was the peaceful one of a newspaper
editor His journal had been the most in
| fuential of all those in Montevideo and was
one of the means or advancing him in pub
lie life. He was interested in the United
States and especially in increasing the trade
| relations.
Uruguay ships large amount of dry
| hides to the United States and takes some
| merchandise in return. However her Iare-
est purchases have been of REVIEWERS and
other small arms. Outside of Montevideo
| Il
! cidents of the ranch life. and perhaps is No
! more common than was the case a few
| years ago on our western ranches Its dis
advantage to the government is that when
yer any one wants to start a revolution his
followers are already armed The effort 10
made to control the importation of revOly-
ers and the government is supposed to mo-
uopolize the privilege. But in practice this
monopoly connot be made effective.
| President Ordouez succeeded President
| Cuestas. who was one of the best chief az
ecutives Uruguay eyer had. The latter
managed to maintain a peaceful and nro-
gressve administration and left a surplus
in the treasury which was to be spent on
the improvement of, Montevideo harbor
The harbor Is little more than an ocean
roadstead for the Plate is very rough and
onIy river vessels OF, light draft can GET
| near the wharves. I spent a Fourth of JHlv
on a French steamer lying two miles out.
unable to get across, in a launch to the
| American warships a few hundred Yards
away and take part in the national ceIe-
A French company has a contract for
| building a pier and breakwaters. but the
| work has proceeded very slowly Almost
anv day the worlds shipping may be seen
| off NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and big sailing
| vessels from Australia. New Zealand South
Africa. Hamburg Liverpool, Genoa Mar
settle, Barcelona. and once in great while.
| ~ work The passage fr.,yr Nav, vi,