Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10

NJ historical Importance Tor Latin
1 America. In June last the CEN
tenary of the death of Gen. An
tonic Jose de Sucre, one of South Ameri-
icaS liberators, was observed by all over
the Southern Hemisphere. On July ID the
Republic of Uruguay celebrated the first
centenary of her Independent life. Next
December will mark the first centenary
of Simon Bolivar, the George Washing
ton of South America, who gave liberty
and sovereignty to five of the ten South
American countries. And this month.
this week, the Ecuadoreans celebrate
the first centenary Of the constitution
of Ecuador as an independent state, on
August IA, 1880. This is year OF CEN
tenaries for the Latin Americans.
Like Uruguay, who just passed the
hundred mark, Ecuador Is one OF the
smallest South American nations. AL
though her exact territorial extension
cannot be very well determined until
her boundary controversies with Peru
and Colombia are definitely settled, OFF,
cial United States figures credit the
country with an area of approximately
10000 square miles. This is almost as
large as that of New Mexico in this
country. About two million people live
in that territory of which great per-
centage is of Indian blood or mixed
Spanish-Indian descent.
And yet, strange to say, In Latin
America the countries which are geo.
graphically smaller seem destined to
make the greater social and political
progress. Also, like Uruguay, Ecuador
is, politically speaking, one Of the most
advanced countries in the New World.
The last constitution approved in
Ecuador, for instance, contains some
political and social features only COM
parable in Latin America to those in
practice in Uruguay-"the political lab
oratory of the AmericaS"-and In the
rest of the world to those being tried
out by some of the most progressive
European States.
Following the modern tendencies to-
ward more technical and less political
government, and substituting the new
social ideals for the WORKOUT principles
of unlimited democracy, the Ecua-
dorean Senate was converted from a
political institution into a technical
entity in which, for the first time in
the continent the various professional
classes and the organizations which
constitute the national fabric were
called to participate in directing ma
tional affairs.
Instead of being made UP of the
representatives Of the people" elected
by direct and popular vote In each
province, the Ecuadorean Senate is now
composed of members designated partly
by the provincial councils and partly
by various callings, as follows: One
representative of the universities, one Of
school teachers, one of normal profess
sors, one of the press, one Of scientific
academies and societies, two of farmers,
two of commerce, one of industries, two
of workingmen, two of the rural popula-
ton and one Of the national armed
forces.
Today, not the sovereign people"
but organized entities and professional
groups choose the national Senators in
Ecuador. In this way the control Of
national legislation has been shifted
from the hand of politicians to those of
technical and professional men.
Other outstanding social and political
reforms make extremely interesting the
present Ecuadorean constitution. Prop
erty rights are recognized as social
utilities" thus tending toward the sub
ordination of individual interests to
| those higher ones of a social character.
Ecuadorean women are granted all the
privileges and the liberties of the
stronger SEX" with equal political and
civil rights Divorce laws are sane
toned in their most absolute and liberal
sense, provision being made for the con-
sent divorce, simply upon petition Of
both parties and without formal pro-
ceedings or long, strenuous trials.
These are only few instances Of the
| far-reaching steps that Ecuadorean
statesmen are taking in the field of
| social legislation. They suffice to explain
| why Ecuador is held to be in such
an advanced stage of political develop
ment.
| And it is because of this remarkable
standing Of the small and prosperous
| Latin republic that her first centenary
will be observed this week with joyous
| celebrations from the Rio Grande to
the Magellan Straits, as well as in the
| United States, where the political ma
| turity of the sister Latin republics is
being followed with the greatest in
| terest.
Ecuador is now governed by a man
OF unusual energies and capacities, DR..
Isidro Ayora, a physician by profession,
| who was called to the government in 1926
| by a military movement which sought
to end in that country an old regime
of political corruption and disorder. AS
| a provisional chief executive, DR.. Ayora
| craftsmanship that in 1928 he was
unanimously elected the constitutional
| President" of Ecuador by q national
convention assembled in Quito.
The Ecuadorean republic has since
| been through an interesting period OF
| political as well as material develop
ment which finds her, at the close OF
| her first 100 years, on a prosperous and
most promising footing.
Killing the Killers.
Since the world began TO be, the
greatest political problem of all ages has
| ban,, 90 ,sanaVrfla fha YH0u1ar If the Y1llerN