Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-11
ARGENTINA AFT AIRS
Significance Of the Quickly
Suppressed Revolt.
EUROPEAN INTERESTS
THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN
THAT COUNTRY.
Immigrants From All Lands Have
Made Their Homes
There.
.ritten for The Evening Star.


Martial law prevails in Argentina. Yet
the cable dispatches say that affairs are
following their normal course. There is
more significance in the last slalehieii'
than in the first one.
The meaning of the quickly suppressed
revolt In one of the most stable and pro-
gressive of the South American republics
is that the civil institutions have been put
I. a supreme test and apparently have been
equal to it, Argentina had one long period
of a dictatorship but that was half CEN
tury ago Then it had various revolutions
and civil wars, but for generation past
there has been no dictator, in the old sense.
If the late revolt had been successful
it would have been intensely discouraglng
to the progressive men of South America.
The attempt to upset the government ap-
pears to have been a military mutiny, ana
its failure has all the more significance on
that account.
Interest in Europe.
A tremor went through the financial CAPT.
tails of Europe when the news was first
received, and some echo of this was felt IN
the United States, though the situation was
not fully understood. This country has
vast future market in Argentina, and is in
terested in it's stability and progress. The
exports for the present calendar year may
reach s2O,OO0OOO, which will be almost
double that of previous years.
But the bulk of foreign capital in Argen-
tina Is European, and that explains why the
situation is still watched with so great con-
Germ in London, Berlin and Paris. Less than
two years ago. when / was in BuenoS Ayres,
figures We're given me showing that between
81 600 OOO, 600 and 81 roc, 600, 600 of European
money was invested in Argentina. BY lar
the larger amount of this was English cap
ital, the total being placed at 1850 OO0,OOO.
Of this sum more than $500, 100000 is invest
ed in the railways. Some of these railways
are earning dividends of % to ~ per cent,
and the majority of them regularly pay
from 5 to Z per cent. In the last six or
seven years English investors have got BACK
all they lost when the Barring failure pre-
cipitated a financial crisis that was felt
around the world.
Some of the packing houses and refriger-
ating plants which are controlled jointly by
Argentine and English capital have paid 90
per cent The leading English bank de-
clares regular annual dividends of Is to 70
per cent. The steamship lines do not pay
so well because of the fierce competition
with the Germans. The English invest
mentS are scattered all over Argentina, and
it must be remembered that the country is
one-third the size of the United States and
rivals the Mississippi valley in the produc-
ton of the cereals.
The Centers of Revolution.
Because their investments are so widely
scattered the English capitalists scanned
the map with good deal Of anxiety when
the news first came of the attempted re-
volt. They saw that 1t had been planned
with Bahia Blanca, Rosario, Cordova and
Mendoza centers. These places are hum
dredS of miles apart and are the chief COM
mercial centers. Bahia Blanca is the lead
ing port south of Buenos Ayres and Is
where the wheat and wool of a great Sec
y;nrx If t,-n1 n,,1
shipped. The wheat shipments reach about
100000 tons annually A military port con-
structed by the government at Bahia Blanca
cost 100000.
No Foothold in Buenos Ayres.
Undoubtedly one reason for the quick
collapse of the conspiracy has been the fail
ure to secure a foothold in the city Of
Buenos Ayres. This metropolis within the
next two years will have million inhabit-
ants. The population already has passed
100000. The commercial interests of Bue-
nos AyreS are SO vast that even diSaffected
political elements would hesitate before
taking the responsibility for disturbing
them. Not only the foreign financial houses
but also the native influence, would be hos
tile to revolutionary movements, particu-
larly when engineered by disaffected ele-
ment in the army. The great ranch owners
all have their headquarters in Buenos Ayres
but their power extends through the whole
country.
Those who know something of underlying.
conditions in Argentina are interested in
the outcome OF the conspiracy in its bear
ing on civilian policies. Last year President
Roca, VINO was soldier, was succeeded by
Senior Qulntana, civilian. Senior Quintana
is lawyer. He is the first president of the
Argentine Republic who, it may be said.
has been elected after American methods.
There was not much contest for the nomi-
nation after it became known that the no.
litical element of which Senior Quintana was
the leader was in control. The opposition.
instead of holding a convention of its own,
raised riot in Buenos Ayres when the as
sembly called by the notabIes was in SEES
sion
Senior Quintana, it was known, had the
support of President Roca's administration
He was elected somewhat after the forms
of the electoral college in the United
States and was inaugurated without onno-
sition. His policies generally have been
favorable to the encouragement of foreign
capital in Argentina and to friendly rela-
lions with the other South American conn
tries President Quintana is also very well
disposed toward the United States
In the attempted revolt it has been noted
| that former President Roca was one of the
| first to come to the support of the Oufn-
| tana administration. General Roca is still
| probably the most influential person in
| Argentina, though he is out of office. He
| has been twice president of Argentina. He
| is good deal of the Roosevelt type of a
| man, strenuous and positive. His prompt
| adhesion to President Quintana in the
| present trouble was about the most reas-
| surfing news that could have been sent
| either to Europe or to the United States.
| Colonists From Everywhere.
There are some small settlements OF
| Americans in Argentina chiefly western
farmers and cattlemen. who have bought
! ranches and making a good deal O,
| money. However, it can hardly be said
| that American colonies exist. A few Iowa
| farmers grouped together come the near
| est to representing the United States
| European countries are fully represented
| not only in Buenos Ayres and the bis
cities, but out irr the country as well, The
| Italians have large preponderance, and il
the city of Buenos Ayres they form nearly
| one-fourth Of the total population Aftel
the Italians come the Spaniards and the
| French, and then Germans and English
The Germans are mostly settled in the
cities. but the English are spread over thu
! country. They take to the ranch life.
| / found a Swiss colony UP in the nortI
of Tucuman celebrating the birthday OF
| William Tell by sharpshooting contes
and an Grafton. Down in pa oopio