Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-04
Writer Claims Revolt
In Guatemala at End

| To the Editor of The Star:
AS MANY other students Of political
and economical conditions in Latin
America, have followed with atterl-
| ton the articles of Mr.. CASTOR Nerval
appearing in The Sunday Star. The
J author shows deep knowledge OF his
| subject, great fairness and a remark
able gift of expression. The Star is to
| be congratulated on having secured the
contributions of such a specialist.
The article of Mr.. Nerval in your
| issue of the 9th of last month deals
| with conditions in Central America. 1t
! is not my desire to refer now to Hon.
duras, Nicaragua, ETC., but as regards
Guatemala I feel called to supplement
Mr.. Nervals observations with few re-
marks.
Evidently writing some days ago, Mr..
| Nerval says: cat this time peace no
engaged in war and the political fate of
the republic rests upon the outcome of
arm confagration. I" ."
| Now, everybody knows that at pres
| ent such is not the case. The last cable
| I received from the President of Guate-
mala, on the 21st last, said that peace
and order had been re-established
everywhere in the country" and fur
Their and more complete information in
the public press has shown with what
rapidly, efficiency and thoroughness
the revolutionary attempt was sup
pressed. What happened in Guatemala
is a new proof that, IN that country at
least, the era of military upheavalS is
at an end and that no revolution will
succeed which does not have public
sentiment on its side.
AS Mr.. Nerval clearly explains, in
Guatemala "a few high-ranked army
officers, finding themselves dissatisfied
because their ambitions were not real
ized," rose in revolt.
And the Guatemalan people, let me
add, the army, the merchants, the whole
Of the sane elements of the population,
declared themselves at once for Gen
Chacon and his government. Why?
Because in this case tyranny, pilfering
of public funds, suppression of liberties
were identified, not with Gen. Chacon
and his followers, but with the leaders
of the revolt.
With great appearance of reason, Mr.
Nerval attributes political disturbances
in Central and South America to three
causes: Democratic inexperience, psy-
Geological heritage, material necessities
To these reasons let me add one more,
which take as predominant: Lack of
| instruction and education in a great
part of the lower classes.
In regard to Guatemala. I do not
doubt that If Gen. Chacon, an upright,
generous, kind man, succeeds In famil-
iarizing the people with the practices of
real democracy by upholding a regime
of order and liberty, he will be para
mount In creating in the masses Senti-
ment of responsibility, notion of each
mans rights, which will prevent them
| from siding with the first set of adj
venturers who, as was the case lately,
without motives, reason or patriotic
ideals, do not stop at treason, following
simply the dictates Of their guilty am
| billions. Much in this sense has been
done, as the collapse of the last "revo-
luton" has proved. And, as could be
foreseen, the result of the revolt has
been that the legal government has
emerged stronger and that the Presi-
dent, Gen. Chacon, is now more popular
and respected than ever.
| JOSE TIBLE MACHADO.