The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1920-06-18

Aio mas PROJECTED himself into an era In which
presidents" staying In power from decade to
decade are distinctly unfashlonable; In which
there Is altogether too much interest among Lat
ih-Amercans ~ elections and votes and other
strange things prevalent In North America
Yet In the very midst of this era. Manuel Es-
trnda Cabrera maintained himself. swapping his
fingers at all attempts to Gust him. He holds the
worlds record for escaping assassination
Only two long distance autocrats of Latin
America have ruled more than Cabrera's total OF
% years-Porfrio Diaz OF Mexico and Dr. Fran
cia the famous ruler of Paraguay. The other
most famous dctators OF Central and South Amer
lea, despite the long terms Of Office have not sue
ceeded In equallng Cabreras total Of years as
president" OF his native land elected" by the
votes" Of his fellow countrymen
Manuel Estrada Cabrera was born November
81, 1857, at the city OF Qnezaltenango. In the In
terror OF Guatemala. He studied law at the
tionnl capital and was appointed governor of the
Department OF Retalhuleu and. In 1885, chief JUS.
ticc Of his native city of Quezaltenango. But
these posts were not big enough for his ambl-
tons. He managed tor get himself appointed "Se-
gundo Deslgnado," second vice president, OF
the republic And then. when President Barrios
quite a lonI-distnnce ruler hmself-was assts-
slnated In 1908, Cabrera his chance. As Sec
ond vice president. he was not the man who would
automatically succeed Barros-there was first
vice president In the way. But that trihe didn't
u
meeting Of the big men Of the Barros govern
ment, laid a revolver down on the table before
them, and remarked
Gentlemen. l am president Of Guatemala"
He was right And he has been president of
Guatemala ever since. The term president" rs
has been hinted Is putting It far too mildly.
czar In the palmlest days of czarism a Roman
emperor at the height OF imperial Rome's power,
a blood thirsty despot OF the far east. might well
envy Manuel Estrada Cabrera. firmly seated on
his Central American thrane In this year OF grace
1890 cheerfully acting In way that would have
made tyrant of antiquity blush for fear that he
was eyer,ioing things.
His rule absolute. His capacity for Mt.
tending to details, for keeping an eye on every.
thing that would insure his remaining sole arbiter
of Guatcmalan destinies. was simply marvellous
The members OF the Guatemaan assembly though
II Is externally a perfectly good legislative body
modelled the parlaments OF really democratic
lands. are simply his creatures-or so his enemies
say. His cabinet ministers are slaves Every.
where Cabrera has spies Nobody. native or for.
eign, enters or leaves Guatemala without having
his every move reported 10 the despot. SO terri.
BILE Is this system of espionage so acute the sus
plcion aroused by the dctators methods so well
kncwn his ruthlessness when once he has decided
to swoop down on somebody. that his name ia
never mentioned In Guatemala except In whispers
Every suspects his neighhor.
He has large army. which he keeps efficient
since he realizes quite well that his power reS,s
on bayonets. The private soldiers are recrpl,e.
by force and get only few cents u day The Of
acers. too, are poorly paid. but they like the 81,
william officials Of Cabrera. are not according 10
common belief. deprived OF means of imnroy,nr
their stpends.
Cabrera has escaped assassination In m,r,e,.
lous ways The attempts to kill him have hean
far from bungling essays by amateurs. they SHOW,
a skill In planning that should place them h,.n
among the classics Of their kind AS a result q,