The Washington herald., 1908-05-31
BY JOHN $. HARDWOOD.

OF Paraguay. Alcorta of the Argentine
Republic. Montt OF Chile, Monies OF Bo-
lvia, Pardo OF Peru. Alfaro OF Ecuador,
Reyes of Colombia. Amadcr of Panama.
Zelaya of Nicaragua, Cabrera OF Guate-
mala. Figueroa Of Salvador. Davila Of
Honduras, Viquez Of Costa Rica, Alexis
of Hayti. Caeeres of the Dominican Re
public. and, Of course, Iiaz of Mexico
and Castro of Venezuela.
Two Of these nineteen heads Of govern
ments have worldwide fante-Castro "the
monkey Of the Andes and the particu-
lar Latin-American thorn IN the flesh of
Uncle Sam. and Diaz. for many years
universally recognized as one Of the
worlds greatest modern statesmen and
empire builders. OF the worlds three
negro Presidents. two are among the nine
teen. and each rules over n portion OF the
black" island of Santo Domingo. Two
are sons OF former Presidents Of their re-
spective countries, Montt Of Chile and
Pardo of Peru. The latter is probably
the youngest OF the Latin-American chief
executives. He Is now only forty-four
When he was elected President TO fiji the
vacancy caused by the death OF CandamO,
he was forty, or one year younger than
Theodore Roosevelt when he became Pres
ident following the death OF Mr.. McKin-
ley.
Alexis, of Haiti, Il Ninety.
The oldest of the Presidents is Alexis Of
Hayu. who, despite the fact that ninety
odd years of life have shriveled him TO a
shadow OF his former giant self, keeps an
iron grasp on the remotest part of his un-
happy country. He, too. probably has
the bloodiest career Of all the nineteen,
and that Is saying good deal when Il Is
recalled that Cabrera OF Guatemala IS
frequently called tho Nero OF modern
times that Zelaya, the stormy petrol
or Central America" does not hesitate 10
wage war or order executions when he
thinks his ends will be justified thereby;
that Alfaro. before he succeeded in enter
ing Quito In triumph in 1895 as dictator
was the head and front Of twenty revolu-
tons spread over period Of thirty years;
and that Castro got Venezuela In the hOl-
low OF his hand and has kept It there by
freely letting the blood OF his enemies.
OF course, most of the Presidents (even
Diaz) have fought in one or more inter
nal revolutions apiece, and some have
fought against other governments than
their own. In the latter class come Diaz,
Montes OF Bolivia, and Pardo Of Peru.
Monies, when tho war with Chile broke
out, left his law books and went 70 the
defense of his country as a private. He
fought so yaliantly that when he returned
to his studies he was a captain Montes.
be II said, has not fought nearly as much
as the average Latin-AmericRn chief ex-
ecutive, and yet he twice led an army
against Brazil during the dispute over the
Acre territory. Pardo, like Monies IS a
lawyer by profession. and in no sense a
military man, his martial experience be-
ing those Of volunteer in the war with
Chile in 1879. At that time he was but
fifteen years old. real boy soldier.
Pennn "A Man of Pence.
But the only simon-pure man OF peace
among the Presidents is Penna Of Brazil.
PeDna, the Brazilian consul general In
New York City told me, with a touch Of
pride IN his voice, has never fought in
battle or taken even passive part IN an
incipient or a full-fiedged revolution; and
he added that for his part, he felt that
both the President and the country should
be complimented on this head Penna.
when the empire was overthrown. let
others do the overthrowing then quietly
became a republican and went on in the
even tenor OF his way teaching political
economy IN the University Of Bells Hori-
sOnte and holding Office betlmes. until in
1906, Brazil having tried him for four
years as Vice President, elected him chief
magistrate by large majority So QUIET
~ and inoffensively has Penna lived that
he has not even experienced the sensa-
tions of escaping assassination. as has
Alcorta, OF the Argentine Republic, re-
Gently. In brief, study Of his career
Will not bring TO light a single incident
even remotely suggestive Of thriller" &"
But with tho other Presidents it is an
other story.
Amador, when the government had put
price on his head, dead or alive man
aged 20 escape across the isthmus I'm a
lard barrel. Monies more than once led
troops in fierce charges on the Chileans.
and he was then only eighteen. Zelaya
secured control of Nicaragua by march
ing, fresh from a hardly won battlefield.
into the presence OF the President and his
cabinet and. with his ''trusty'' revolver IN
his hand. announcing to the little assem-
blage that he had put down the revolu-
ton not for love OF the President, not for
love Of the country, but for his own per-
sonal elevation. A little later the country
districts voted for three candidates for
President, Jose, Santos, and Zelaya, and
at the proper time all three were inaugu-
rated IN the person Of Jose Santos zelaya.
Castro Showed Bravery.
Castro marched at the head OF his hand
ful OF marauding mountaineers straight
up to the gates Of Caracas before his
predecessor in the Presidency had stopped
laughing at the audacity Of the Andean
monkey" Tho thrills in the life Of Diaz
world furnish sufficient Al material for
lengthy series OF dime novels. Cabrera
has been exceedingly busy OF late putting
down revolutions, lodging assassins and
war with Mexico, and ordering and SUPER
intending executions galore Alexis latest
bit OF convincing evidence 10 his people
that he is the whole show In Haiti was
the execution In March OF twenty-seven
alleged conspirators against his authority.
Pardo has Just succeeded In quelling a
revolution against his government which
broke out in the sky-high copper and sill
yer mining region OF Cerro de Pasco
Montt OF Chile, when Congress revolted
against Baimaceda and war ensued in
1891 fled into hiding, and in hiding he re-
mained until an armistice was declared
AS a leader In Congress, he was one OF
the leading revolutionists.
Alfaro OF Ecuador, as already remarked,
has been the head and front OF twenty
revolutions Caceres. Of the Dominican
republic, as BELTS an inhabitant of that
country, has been a professional revolu-
ZIONIST from his childhood up. As for
Reyes OF Colombia. he. has found zest in
living not alone in putting down and stir
ring up revolution. but also In sxplora-
ton. In brief. he Is one OF the most
noted explorers of modern times, and both
his and Alfaro's careers bristle with years
crowded with thrilling incidents.