The Washington herald., 1920-10-11

~ pencil was the wand with
which Keogh performed the
preliminary acts of his magic. SO,
with this he covered paper with
diagrams and figures while he
waited for the United States of
America to send down to Coralio
a successor to Atwood. resigned.
The new scheme that his mind
had conceived. his stout heart in
dorsed, and his blue pencil corro-
borated. was laid around the char
acteristics and human frailties of
the new president of Anchuria.
These characteristics. and the sit
uation out Of which Keogh hoped
to wrest a golden tribute, deserve
chronicling contributiVe to the
clear order of events.
President Losada-many calles
him Dictator-was a man whose
genius would have made him con-
spicuous even among. Anglo-Sax-
ons, had not that genius been in
termixed with other traits that
were petty and subversive. He
had some of the lofty patriotism
OF Washington (the man he most
admlred), the force of Napoleon,
and much of the wisdom of the
sages. These characteristics might
have justified him in the assump-
tion Of the title Of The Illustrious
Liberator," had they not been ac-
companied by a stupendous and
amazing vanity that kept him in
the less worthy ranks OF the die
tators.
Yet he did his country great
service. With a mighty grasp he
shook 1t nearly free from the
shackles of ignorance and sloth
and the vermin that fed upon IL,
and all but made il a power in the
council OF nations. He establish
ed schools and hospitals. built
roads, bridges, railroads and pal
aces, and bestowed generous sub
sidies upon the arts and sciences.
He was the absolute despot and
the idol of his people. The wealth
of the countr? poured into his
hands. Other presidents had been
rapacious without reason. Losada
amassed enormous wealth, but his
people had their share of the
benefits.
The joint in his armor was his
insatiate passion for monuments
and tokens commemorating his
glory. In every town he caused
to be erected statues of himself
bearing legends in praise OF his
greatness. In the walls of every
public edifice, tablets were fixed
reciting his splendor and the
gratitude of his subjects. His
statuettes and portraits were
scattered throughout the land in
every house and hut. One of the
sycophants in his court painted
him as st. John. with a halo and
a train of attendants in full uni
form. Losada saw nothing in
congruous in this picture. and had
it hung in a church in the capital.
He ordered from a French sculptor
a marble group including himself
with Napoleon, Alexander the
Great, and one or two others
whom he deemed worthy OF the
honor.
He ransacked Europe for deco
rations, employing policy. money
and intrigue to caJole the orders
he coveted from kings and rulers.
On state occasions his breast was
covered from shoulder to shoulder
with crosses, stars, golden roses.
medals and ribbons. 1t was said
that the man who could contrive
for him a new decoration. or in
vent some new method of ex-
tolling his greatness, might
plunge hand deep into the
treasury.
This was the man upon whom
Billy Keogh had his eye. The
gentle buccaneer had observed the
rain of fsvors that fell upon those
who ministered to the presidents
vanities, and he did not deem it
his duty to hoist his umbrella
against the scattering drops OF
liquid fortune.
In a few weeks the new con-
sui arrived. releasing Keogh from
his temporary duties. He was a
young man fresh from college
who lived for botany alone. The
consulate at Coralio gave him the
opportunity to study tropica
fora. He wore smoked glasses
and carried a green umbrella. He
filled the cool back porch of the
consulate with plants and speci'
mems so that space for a bottle
and chair was not to be found
Keogh gaZed on him sadly, bu
without rancor. and began to pacl
mis- gripsack. For his new pIo
against stagnation along tn,
Spanish Main required of him {
voyage overseas.
Soon cane the EarlSefn arair