The sun., 1919-07-21
REGIONAL CONGRESS
NEW PLAN FOR PERU
Provisional President to Pro-
pose Three Great Fed
eral States.
Written Especially for the Latin AmeYi.
can Section Of TIE Sun.

Written Especially for the Latin AmeYi.
can Section Of TIE SIN
OF the constitutional amendments which
Provisional President DR.. Augusta Leguia
expects to propose to the constituent con-
gress whose convocat!on in the near flu
ture seems practically certain, the only
one to reach this country as yet is stated
TO contemplate establishing three re sional
congresses at Arequpa. Huancayo and
Trujillo. Such plan is recognized to be
virtually equivalent TO dividing Peru into
three Federal states. the legislatures or
which would be subject TO the central
Congress in Lima.
At frst sight Il seems to be a rather
radical step, but nevertheless, IL 1t is a
IA ir sample OF the constitutional reforms
DR. Leguia intends 10 promulgate, Peru
is indeed to be congratulated on his again
becoming Chief Executive, for such
change would undoubtedly be looked
upon with favor by all those cognizsnt
or the difficulties which beset govern
mental administration in that country.
or these difficulties the greatest Is
probably that caused BY the lack of ade-
quate transportation facilities. Peru, a
country whose area is 100000 square
miles. possesses only 100 miles OF rail-
road. She has no transcontinental lines,
and although the Central and Southern
systems tap the interior highlands the
great forest covered plains 10 the cast or
the Andes. commonly called the montana,
can be reached only by mule trails. al
most impossible at certain periods Of
the year. while travel from north to
south is dependent upon the coastwise
steamship service.
This Is no criticism OF Peru. for the
vicissitudes attendant upon railroad con-
struction there surpass in magnitude
those TO be found in any other country
OF the world. She has not one Grand
Canyon, but many, and while chasms ten
thousand feet in depth and mountain
passes higher than Pixies Peak add to
, the scenic features of a locality they are
not apt TO be objects OF admiration TO the
long suffering engineer striving to push
| forward the slender bands OF iron that
| are to bring unity to country which
nature wishes TO separate into hundreds
| OF divergent communities.
Not in Touch with Lima.
In the past this lack OF easy transit
| from one part OF Peru 10 another has
made It extremely difficult fer the CEN
trail Government in Lima to keep itself
| fully informed as to the needs OF the
| different departments. As result. the
southern part OF the country has often
| felt that the Limenos were running af-
| fairs in their own local interests. This
feeling could easily gain momentum and
| become serious before the Government
was able to intervene, for even though
the latter was Immediately informed by
! telegraph regarding the situation It would
/ be impossible for 1t to make its power felt
| before a revolution had become an actual
fact.
| With regional congresses established
| at Arequipa Huancayo and TruJillo this
condition OF affairs should be remedied
+, Transportation facilities TO these three
centres from the outlying regions are rel
atively adequate and the division OF the
country into these districts is natural
one. AreQuipa, the second city OF Peru
is situated Ave hours ride from Mollendo
| on the main line OF the Southern Rail
! road. by means OF which Cuzco and the
provinces bordering on Lake Titicaca
have an exit to the coast. Huancayo
is an interior city on the old highway
from Lima to Cuzco and Is the presen,
terminus OF the Central Railroad. Branch
lines put 1t In touch with the importan,
mining centre OF Cerro de Pasco to the
north. and the extension TO Ayacucho
now under construction, will when I'm,
ished open up the highlands to the
south. Trujlllo Is an important city tc
the north. II Is at the end OF a short
railroad running inland from the por'
of Salaveny and Is easily reached by
water and rail from all the oil. sugar
and cotton centres in the northwest.
Promotes National Unity.
The regions not we'll taken care OF II
| .l.,- g,rtat
comprised in the montana to the cas-
and the southern valleys in the viclnit,
OF Moquegua to the far south. TIL
former Is very inaccessible and com
municatIon with II is carried on almos
entirely by wireless from Lima and b,
steamships which ascend the Amazon L
, Iauitos. the chief city OF that regior
The latter Is easily reached by coas
steamships and has never presented an
great administrative difficulties. TIL
I provinces In the vicinity Of the capIts
: will in all probability be governed di
: rectly from Lima.
2 The result OF this amendment, there
t fore. should be a promotion of nations
unity, which is very much to be desire
In Peru. The delegates to the regiona
= legislatures will be in much closer touc
: with their constituents than could b
those in the National Congress, many O
whom on account OF the expense an
time necessary to reach their own dis
J tricts are compelled to reside in Lin
/ during their whole term OF ONCE.
: These legislatures should be able I
recommend useful facts to the Nations
Congress, and as tho needs OF the var
ious interior sections are given NOR
: attention there will naturally grow u
a LOYALTY TO the national Government
which will render needless the militar
/, precautions necessary in the past I
forestall revolutionary uprisings.
d. |
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