Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27
IN LATIN AMERICA
By. CASTOR NERVAL.

European states were putting into sue
cesSful practice. Thus Uruguay was the
first Latin American country to adopt
social welfare laws, the eight-hour day
for labor, compulsory public education,
absoluate divorce and other notable re-
forms of our age, many Of which are
still known only by name in the ma
Uruguay has been called, on that ac-
count. the political laboratory Of the
Americas"
Today Uruguay has a system Of civil
laws and social legislation which leaves
nothing to be envied in the most pro-
greSsive systems of the world. The same
may be said regarding education. Al
though working under the same difficult
ties as do all other Latin American re-
publics in attempting to educate the
masses, Uruguay now possesses the most
advanced educational methods in that.
part of the earth, and has the lowest
illiteracy index Of any of her sister
nations.
Just as Uruguay holds a unique posi-
ton in respect to educational and social
matters, she has political organization
with some original characteristics not
found in any other country of this con-
tinent. Nor in Europe. The executive
power, for example, is not in the hands
tween the President and national
council of administration, composed Of
nine members elected by popular vote.
This council, through its functions in
naming ministers heads Of departments
and other high of1icials, in managing
national finances, in directing the for
eign policies, as well as the general in
ternal life of the nation, has a greater
power than the President himself. This
division of power constitutes the best
possible control over the excessive per
sonalism" which has always been the
most serious problem in Latin politics.
1t is the best guaranty of government
of the people, for the people and by the
people" or, at least, comes nearest to
that ideal form of democracy so long
sought by the. statesmen of all countries.
Strange as it seems, in Latin America
the countries which are geographically
smaller seem destined to make the
greatest political progress.
Victory for Arbitration.
In spite Of all the sarcastic criticism
or the skeptical indifference which the
strenuous march of pacifist tendencies
has met in America, as everywhere else.
arbitration methods score, from time to
time, new and significant victories.
for six months Guatemala and Hon
duras, the two old Central American
rivals, have just agreed to submit their
long-standing boundary controversy to
the arbitration of three judges, presided
over by Hon. Charles Evans Hughes,
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of
the United States. In January of this
year the governments of both republics
accredited two special plenipotentiaries
- u ia ~1.fv nj
arriving at peaceful and amicable So
luton of their differences. In doing so
they only followed the example of Chile
and Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay and
other Latin American republics which
had previously brought to Washington
their political discussions and succeeded
in bringing about conciliatory arrange
ments.
The Guatemala Honduras controversy,
like most of the Latin American terri
torial disputes, is very old one, arising
from the confusing and obscure titles of
colonial times. During a long while the
dispute lay dormant, until some North
American promoters discovered that this
region of virgin land was admirably
suited to large-Scale production of
bananas. Very soon two large American
concerns one under concessions from
the Guatemalan government and the
other under Honduran grants, were iex-
plotting the territory and 1t was not
long before their respective railways
were in conflict, bringing the boundary
controversy into its most serious stage.
Each of the interested governments
backed one of the banana companies
and claimed that the other was operat-
ing Illegally in its territory. This stu
alton kept the quarrel upon almost I'M
solvable terms. Then, not long ago, one
of the companies absorbed the other
and now the two governments have
signed protocol agreeing to submit the
territorial question to an arbitral de-
cision.
Apart from the international signifi-
canoe which this diplomatic agreement
involves, there is another fact to be
noted, and that is the prominent part
the United States has played in the
settlement Of this, as well as Of other
Latin American disputes during the last
decade. Uncle Sam is playing q lead
ing role in the peace crusade In the
New World, and the Latin Americans,
convinced Of his righteous Judgment,
are turning to him for the solving of
their old controversies, which yester-
year we're invariably submitted to
European Sovereigns for adjustment
Such a growing in confidence is
good indication Of good WILL
The Peace Continent.
Another Latin American dispute, in
the settlement of which the United
States had most important role, was
finally closed this week, when Para
guayan officials handed over to Bolivian
troops thu reconstructed fort IVAN.