Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10
In LATIN AMERICA
By CASTOR NERVAL.

with individual liberties. Human his
tempts to check or to restrain that per-
petual tendency toward absolutism,
which has always and everywhere ex-
listed under different names.
Egyptian kings, Greek dictatorS, Ro-
man emperors, monarchs of the Middle
Ages almighty SovereignS of the modern
times, despots of the Revolution, iron
handed" presidents of So-called dem
ocratic natlons-no matter what their
names-are but different expressions of
that same, continuous trend toward
autocracy, which has its prolongation in
the present-day relationships and strong
governments of Europe and Latin
America.
Two thousand years ago the great
philosophers of old Greece were al
ready looking for the solution of this
prblem in which they thought the hap
pineSS of mankind was at stake. Some
of them suggested that only the wiSeSt
men be allowed to rule and that all
governments should be in the hands of
intellectual rulers, who would not yield
to the temptations of absolutiSm or des-
potism. Since then the philosopher
king" has been the ideal of political
philosophers everywhere.
Unfortunately, philosophers are today
ever. Usually they are in the oppoSi-
ton. But even now they are still
preaching loudly from the ground and
fighting their old foe. From one of
them, South American philosopher,
comes the latest blow against the reign
of despotism.
Franz Tamyo, Bolivian author and
philosopher, suggests the adoption of
what he calls the capital law" aimed
to guarantee the people against the ad-
vent of new dictatorial or despotic
regimes in that part of the world.
The capital law consists in grant,
citizen of the state. Any man Is en-
titled to exercise this right and kill the
tyrant in power, provided that the cap
ital law has been declared in force by
the opposition leaders. This declara-
ton is necessary and without it any
violent act is a common and punishable
crime.
once the recognized leaders of the
various opposition parties have declared
that the government is overstepping
its powers and becoming despotic, the
capital law comes in force, and all citi-
zens are automatically authorized to
disavow the government, oppose it, rebel
against 1t. And every one is granted
the legal privilege of eliminating the
tyrant by violent means. Under the
capital law, the assassination of the
tyrant will not be considered q crime
but an heroic act. Another clause of
the project provides that statue Of
the heroic nberator" should be erected
in the national parliament.
In support of his idea, Senior Tamayo
states that If parricide and treason are
punished with the fullest penalty of the
law, tyranny, which embraces both,
should be repressed, If necessary. by the
death of WhomSoeVer exercises 1t. When
democracy Is endangered by the ex-
cesses of the masSes-he addS--the law
has put in the hands of the authorities
the instrument to save it: the state OF
siege martial law, so much employed
| by the Latin American governments)
but when democracy is endangered or
destroyed by the government itself,
| what instrument has science or law
put in the hands of the people to pro-
| tect democracy or to re-establish It?
None so far, he answers, and he sub
mits his plan of capital law" which
aims at suppressing despotism by the
| use of force and violence. That is, sup
pressing force by force.
The project has been received with
wide attention in Latin American po-
| litical circles, although it decidedly be-
longs more to the far-aWay world OF
Greek philosophers. who dreamed at
| Utopia, than to this realistic and very
| human world of ours.
Outdoor Diplomacy.
Since I was a child I have been
hearing people speak of the wonderful
| results of sporting activities in the pro-
motion of good will among nations.
Since I began to know the alphabet I
have read of the tremendous benefits OF
sports in spreading mutual knowledge
and bringing peoples closer, thus help
Ing international friendship and human
happiness.
But also since I was a child I have
been growing Surer OF precisely the
contrary. In Buenos Aires, the huge
capital of Argentina, saw crowd OF
many thousand people screaming Wildly
and shouting down their nelghoors,
the Uruguayans, after a foot ball game
in which the Uruguayan team had won.
In Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital,
I saw Argentine players exchanging
empty bottles and pitching stones most
energetically with the spectators.
In Chile I reported boxing match
in which the final bout between Chill
ian and a foreign boxer was over
Swallowed by additional exhibitions of
the "self-defense art" between fellow
citizens of the fighters. I also reported
South American foot ball champion
ship in Lima, Peru, and I still do not
know whether 1t was a foot ball or a
boxing tournament. Or a screaming
contest, for you could hardly hear your
self whenever the Peruvian team was
having the worst of it in any OF the
games 1t played against the visiting
"elevens."
Just a few months ago, Central
American track contest was on the
verge of causing diplomatic eomplica
lions between two of the countries par
ticipating. because the athletes Of one