Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-27
OUSTED PRESIDENT OF PERU
OUTTALKED FIRING SQUAD
Leguia Declared Warrant for
Death Was Illegal
and Lived.
Friends Wonder If Fluent
Tongue Again Will Save
Dictator.
BY REX COLLIER.

| BY profession a life insurance agent.
Augusta u. Leguia. deposed President
of Peru. has talked himself out OF many
precarious situations. including al
pending execution by a firing squad.
But it remains to be seen to what ex-
tent his volubility will aid him in his
present crisis.
Leguia, a spare, white-mustached
man nearly the age of 10, Is reported
under arrest on the Peruvian cruiser
Almirante Grau, the same warShip, by
the way, which he sent to welcome
President Hoover during the latter's
goodwill tour in South America.
Accustomed TO Crises.
Latin Americas Little Mussolini"
and Iron Man" as he has become
known during his long dictatorship, is
not unaccustomed to crises of one sort
or another. Perhaps he regards his
present predicament as lust another
one of those situations which seem to
take delight in plaguing him through
public liz.
At any rate, these who know Leguia
are net easily convinced he may not
yet use that fluent tongue OF his-a
tongue. that speaks English as naturally
as it does Spanish and French-to win
freedom, if not vindication.
Leguia'S uncanny argumentative pow
ers ~>lce cowed members of a military
firing squad just rs they were about to
pull the triggers on him in Limas IA
nous InquiSition Square. That Is sue
cessful talking, even for an insurance
agent, it has been pointed out
The incident Ueguia regards it as
nothing more than that occurred dur
ing the revolution of 1909. On that
occasion President Leguia was over
powered by an armed mob, members of
which demanded his life without equiv
ocation or delay. Urged on by fervent
leaders, the mob paradsd Leguia
through the streets of the ancient capt.
tai and halted ominously in the aptly-
named plaza.
There proposition was made to the
calm and composed prisoner. If he
would resign forthwith and uncondi-
tionally. his life would be spared; other
wise-well Leguia did not need en-
lghtenment Already a squad of men
was forming with rifles and pistols
cooked
The President brazenly announced he
did not intend to resign, and asked to
see paper. held by one Of the leaders,
purporting to be an order for his arrest.
The warrant was shown him as last
act Of courtesy. and he launched an
eloquent argument to the effect that
the paper was Illegal.
Marksmen Falter.
The men with the guns faltered, sew
eral OF the leaders conferred among
themselves. and a break in the tension
ensued. Here was development the
conspirators had not anticipated. The
argument was a new ore, and nobody
seemed to know exactly what to do
about it.
Leguias forensic talents had hyp-
nctic effect on the crowd. Some who
had just been clamoring for his life
began to murmur in admiration and
sympathy for the little man who thus
dared defy his heavily armed captors.
The Presidents unfit. ching courage
inspired some of his loyal soldiers to
come to his defense. The rescuers lit
orally snatched Leguia from the mouths
of the guns dispersed the crowd and
re.nstated the Executive In his palace.
Leguia had gained the presidency only
a year previous through his remark
able achievements in untanglfng Peru's
finances utter the War of the Pacific