Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31
BY WILLIAM HARD.

NO re-elecIlon is the idea thought
here to be at the bottom of almost
al OF the recent revolutionary dis
turbances in Latin America. The
slogan, mo reelection" has been borne
on the banner of the Mexican revolu-
tionary forces ever since they drove
Porf1rio Diaz of the Mexican presi-
Dental throne. and it has finally re-
suited in the peaceful accession to the
Mexican presidency of Pascual Ortiz
Rubio, who is a first-termer and who
is ruling without stir. 1t is second
termers and attempted second-termers
and attempted Hfe-termers who in gen.
eral are producing the revolts.
In Bolivia the reigning President.
fernando Siles, was to go out of office
on the 9Th of this month. He re-
signed before the expiration of his term
in order, it was believed, to accomplish
some sort of forceful or fraudulent
tinkering with the Bolivian constitution
for the purpose of securing his return
to the presidential palace. 1t was with
the intention of frustrating this sus-
capital, La Paz, was captured by the
military movement headed by Gen.
Blanco Galindo.
X 4
That the ideal of Galindo's movement
was not a military dictatorship, but, on
the contrary, restoration of stabilized
constitutionaliSm would seem to be in
dicated both by the promises he has
made of speedy new elections and by
the character of the candidates agreed
upon to compose the coalition ticket
which will be presented to the Bolivian
voters. This ticket consisting of Daniel
Salamanca for president, ex-President
Monies for first vice president and ex-
pTnGtdarf GaaNaHr0
president, Is a reasonably impartial
representation of the various rival
political groups of Bolivia and exhibits
three personalities who have outStand-
ing political popular support altogether
aside from military considerations.
Ex-PreSident Monies and ex-Presi-
dent Saavedra have been out Of office
for some time and their appearance
on the ticket for vice presidential posts
is not regarded as any violation of the
mo reelection" rule which condemns
really only an effort by q president
to succeed himself in presidential power
without any intervening chance for his
political competitors.
X
The principle underlying the rule is
that a Latin American president has
so much centralized personal power
that he can almost always re-elect him.
self, If he so pleases, by methods Dor
dering upon force, or even including
not fair and should be condemned and
prevented in the name OF a striving
toward ultimate perfected political
freedom.
In Peru the reigning President, Au-
gllsto B. Leguia, had reelected himself
twice. He was by that very fact a
"tyrant" The severity Of his measures
aroused little important opposition dur
ing his first term. This severity became
intolerable when his prospective third
term began to stretch itself before the
ewes of his countrymen. Hence the
revolt against him under the dashing
military hero, Col. Luis M. Sanchez
Cerro.
Cerro's political policy Is still to be
revealed as these words are written, but
the guess here in diplomatic circles is
that he undoubtedly will announce new
elections. His overthrow of Leguia was
facilitated perhaps by the low prices OF
Peruvian products, such as tin, and by
the economic depression of the country;
but there has been a general economic
depression all over South America, and
1t is notable that the military revolts
which thereupon have happened have
been directed only against presidents
whose faces have become too familiar
and whose actions are thought to have
become accordingly too autocratic.
n X X
In Santo Domingo the recent revo-
luton was caused by the behavior OF
President Horacio Vasquez in using his
presidential power to gain for himself
an extension of his presidential term
from four years TO six. This indirect
violation by him Of the "No reelection"
rule was presently met by military
march upon him by Gen, Estella Urena,
who expelled him from ONCE, but who
thereupon soon permitted new elections,
at which the presidency passed to Gen.
Rafael Trujillo, new man.
In Haiti one OF the greatest resent,
ments caused by the American occupa-
ton was our connivance in the self
perpetuating habits of President Louis
Borno, our Haitian presidential hurnpty-
dumpty It is universal expert opinion
that without. us ne would have fallen
from the wall years ago. He reelected
himself in 1926. We lately found 1t
necessary to supplant him with new
man, Eugene Roy
n \ X
In Cuba an approximately similar
situation prevails President Gerardo
Machado's colossal troubles grow essen
TALLY directly out of the fact that in
1928 through the operation of basical-
" unconstitutional constitutional con-
vention" he brought about his re-elec-
ton to a second term in the Cuban
presidency. He now rules over q peo-
pie whom he can keep quiet only by
forcibly excluding the opposition party
from the ballot and by indicttng the
leaders of the opposition party for
violence caused at their public meetings
by armed attacks upon those meetings
by his own soldiers. The peril of his
position is noted throughout the Latin
American press. It is the general belief