Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14
THREE LATIN-AMERICAN
LEADERS TO BE REELECTED
Venezuela, Cuba and Ecuador to Inau-
gurate Present Incumbents as Presi-
dents of Respective Countries.

mate the prestige and financial stand
| ing which the island republic en-
| joys. Under Machado Cuba has gone
ahead remarkably. In Ecuador the
magnitude of the reforms begun under
the relationships of DR.. Ayora, now
Constitutional Presidente, is also re-
markable. Travellers arriving from that
republic aver that Ecuador under five
years of strong government has achiev-
ed more progress than in the preceding
is years.
And, if these examples be not suf-
ficient, there is the typical case Of
Mexico. While Mexico was under the
iron hand of the dictator Porfirio Diaz
that southern republic enjoyed peace
and tranquility and made admirable
progress. There was a surplus on It's
income over expenditures, its system
of railroads was one of the three larg-
est in the world. and the country in
general enjoyed immense credit every
where. Since Diaz disappeared from
the scene Mexico has been experience
ing the horrors of constant domestic
strife. which with only short inter-
walls have been exhausting her for 10
years. Just now the revolutionary
fever is at the boiling point, and the
country Is spending millions Of dollars
and thousands of its sons in combat
ing it.
Jose Santos Chocano, today the
greatest living poet of Latin America,
an enthusiastic advocate Of dictator
ships that work for the better organiza-
ton of the country, has summarized
this political phenomenon. of the Latin
republics in the statement that the
fundamental formula for these nations
is Organize or perish" And organiza-
ton, according to him. cannot be car
ried out except under the rule of strong
and resolute men.
Blow to Democracy.
This policy of strong governments
has, however, its unfavorable side; that
is, it constitutes blow at democratic
traditions, for so many years the po-
litical ideal of peoples. Personal liber-
ties are Cancelled, restrictions are i'm
posed upon liberty of action and
sometimes even of speech, official or
ders are imposed manu- militari and
written law is often set aside. Peoples
governed by dictators lose in liberties
what they gain in material progress.
Neither in Chile, Peru, Cuba, Ecuador
nor Venezuela is political opposition
permitted. In reality, no opposition
parties exist.
Governments have not been deferred
by any severity necessary when it came
to question of securing their own sta
bility and imposing their ideas on the
people. Sometimes these measures
reached extremes of violence. The prob
lem, therefore, is how far 1t Is adj
visible to go in losing individual liber-
ty In order to achieve material progress.
Moreover, the Latin American repub-
lies, in adopting the system of dictator
ships, are only following once again the
political example that comes to them
from European shores. The influence
OF Europe, in things political aSSwell as
cultural, Is. always decisive in Latin
American life. The war for the indie
pendence of these countries from the
crown OF Spain was. consequence of
the lesson learned from the French
Revolution, which proclaimed the rights
OF man and the sovereignty of the peo-
pie. The Franco-Prussian war of 1870
also influenced Latin America.
Soon after victorious Prussia took
possession Of French territories by
force OF arms Latin American nation
proclaimed the supremacy of the law of
conquest and annexed territories of its
neighbors. When the World War ended
In 1918 the ideals of justice and liberal
principles which grew out of it echoed
throughout Latin America and influ-
enced the international policies of va
rious Of those nations. And now that
the European states are giving them
selves over, one by one, to the material
advantages Of relationships, Latin
America is following in their footsteps.
Latin Americans point out that, after
all, 1t was not in any Latin American
republic, but in European captain
Rome, the Eternal City-that the head
Of the government, Mussolini, set down
this phrase for history: "In fateful
hours, the decision lies with the chief,
who should consult only his own con-
science"
Copyright, 1929