Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-21
in LATIN AMERICA
By CASTOR NERVAL.

Commenting in this same column on
the recent coups d'etat in Bolivia and
Peru said, two weeks ago, that they
we're only part of movement OF gen.
eral domestic agitation in Latin America,
to which political, economic and psyche
logical factors had all contributed.
criticized the fact that most editorial
writer's in this country had clasSed the
Bolivian and Peruvian incidents as mere
repetitions of a long, traditional series
of domestic quarrelS provoked purely by
selfish rivalry or personal ambitions.
After summarizing similar events in
Ecuador and Chile few years ago and
the circumstances preceding the latest
coups in Bolivia and Peru, 1 contended
that the real Interpretation of the
present political inquietude in Latin
America was that Of general reaction
against dictatorial forms of govern
ment, encouraged by psychological in
fluence and precipitated by strong eco
nomic factors.
CONDITIONS IN ARGENTINA CITED.
What has since then developed in
Argentina, the best known of Spanish
American countries, serves to corrob-
crate such idea. When my article on
Bolivia and Peru was going to press,
military movement of like characteristics
civilized republic, where internal peace
had prevailed for 40 years and where
no one could suppose the existence of
low, pitiful sentiments of selfish rivalry
dominating national affairs. The civic
and the material progress attained by
the Argentine republic in the last quar-
ter of a century make her immune from
such supposition. Even if the political
maturity of most Of the Latin republics
has often been doubted European and
North American observers have always
pointed to Argentina as an example of
democratic development in the Southern
continent and praised her for the solidity
Of her institutions.
Yet this time the Argentinians, too
have turned against their government
and have taken recourse to force to
overthrow 1t and substitute for 1t
more liberal and more popular one. The
barking of cannon also was heard in
Buenos Aires, the huge Argentine me-
tropolis, just as it had been heard a few
days before in Lima, the capital of Peru
and two months earlier in La PaZ, Bo-
livia. Dead and wounded victims of
street fighting also were reported there
Army units went over to the side Of 6he
people and marched, too, against the
government palace, and a long-estab-
lished President was forced to pen his
resignation and surrender to the trium-
plant revolution.
LIKENED TO OTHER 'UPSETS."
The Argentine movement has all the
characteristics that distinguish the Bo-
ltvian and the Peruvian upsets. The
Irigoyen regime, inaugurated two years
ago, was an arbitrary and personalistic
one. 1t paid little attention to consti-
tutional precepts and preferred strong,
dictatorial ways, although these were
yelled by legalistic appearance Al
though not as arrogant as the Siles re-
g1ne in Bolivia and not half as abso-
lutist as the Leguia regime in Peru, the
administration of President Irigoyen was
far from being democratic one.
AS in Bolivia and Peru, the students
were the first to sound the call TO ac-
ton. With public meetings of protest,
strikes and ardent oratory, they en-
livened the opposition and awoke the
passionate sentiments of the masses.
As in Bolivia and Peru, it was the army
that decided the situation by turning
its guns against a despotic government
and going over to the side of the peo-
pie, and as In Bolivia and Peru, it was
high army officers and not politicians
who directed the movement After this
succeeded, the national armed forces
took control of the administration and
began an energetic and thorough proc
ess OF reconstruction.
CLAIM TEMPORARY POWER ONLY.
AS in Bolivia and Peru, the military
leaders in charge of the country have
solemnly declared that their exercise
of power Is only temporary, and that
they will return to their professional
duties as soon as a new and constitu-
tional civil government has been estab-
lished with the support of the people.
Finally, as in Bolivia and Peru, this
revolution in the Argentine Republic
was precipitated by economic factors.
Behind the political movement there
are strong economic issues at stake. 1t
was the financial crisis of the admins
tration and a general business depres-
sion in the country that served to show
the old regime to be in a delicate and
feeble position, trying unsuccessfully
every imaginable scheme to hold public
| confidence. Just as in the two North
ern republics mentioned, It was not I'M
til this crisis made itself felt that the
situation became serious in Argentina
and revolutionary unrest began TO take
| shape.
| Similar conditions, aggravated by the
contagious psychological influence of
the Bolivian and the Peruvian up
heavals, have led in Argentina to SINH
lar results. The Argentina military
coup d'etat is only another chapter of
that general political disquiet through
the Latin hemisphere which seeks to
re-establish lost democratic liberties and
create more liberal and more public
spirited governments. And the last
chapter Of which, it may be well to
add, has probably not yet been written
NOT A FRIEND OF UNCLE SAM.
While Senior Leguia's exit was COM
mented upon with regret by most news
papers in this country-for he was one
/ of the Latin American executives friend
Lest toward the United States--that OF