Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-28
The Latest Revolution.

AA8SC3e
TINE revolution successfully carried
out in Guatemala only a few
days ago brings up to six the
i number Of Spanish-American
republics upset by political dis
turbances during the year. On the heels
of political changes in Brazil, Argentina,
Peru, Bolivia and the Dominican Re-
public, the Guatemalan coup d'etat'
adds q new chapter 20 that record
breaking series of internal disorders
which Is going to make 1880 as an OUT
standing year In the history Of Latin
America.
Although differing in their origins, in
their ideals and their achievements
from the bloody and selfishly fought,
fruitless revolt which for many decades
had been typical Of the Latin American
countries, these revolutions have left a
rather erroneous impression upon the
majority of public opinion in this coun-
try. Unacquainted with conditions in
the Southern republics and with the
differing characteristics of each one of
those changes, people here have been
misled by sensational cable reports to
associate this front page news" with
the idea Of backward, turbulent and
undiSciplined Latin America, as she
appears often pictured In the novels
4A4AeAe5AAAcSpANS AASt~SAA
writer's.
To the average newspaper reader in
this country. the recent political up
sets on the other side of the Rio Grande
seem merely the continuance of long,
traditional series of domestic upheavals
having no other motives that personal
ambitions or the qualification Of a rest
less spirit Of civil diSobedience which
Is supposed to be characteristic Of Latin
temperament.
Since the first shot was fired in the
first one of these uprisings, we have
been trying to interpret in this column
the real significance of such widespread
political uneasinesS. We have dealt
with them, one by one, as they broke
out, explaining the reasons, the circum-
stances the personalities behind them
trying to get our readers awaI' ION
the impression that they Ire a mere
repetition Of meaEir.~@ess, passionate,
capricious domestic quarrels.
DictatOr's Day Is Done.
We have explained how this internal
diSQliet throughout the Southern con-
tinent Is but the logical result of po-
litical, psychological and economic fac
tors, far more important than they APP
pear to be in the headlines Of heated
news stories.
Summarizing, We have stressed that,
politically, they may be characterized
as the awakening of popular feeling
against dictatorial regimes, the reaction
of public sentiment against the strong
man" policy, which had impelled GER
tain Latin American executives to fol-
low the example of MuSSolini and Primo
de Rivera in Latin Europe, to the detri-
ment of individual liberties. The South
American presidents recently over
thrown had decided to keep themselves
or their political friends indefinitely in
power, believing, sincerely or not, that
the wellbeing Of their nations was de-
pendent upon the continuance Of a
strong, energetic, but self-imposed
regime.
At first, public opinion seemed to
favor this dictatorial trend--perhapS
because 1t was In fashion in old and
experienced Europe-but later on, when
the Latin Americans realized that the
Fascist methods were an exclusively
Italian phenomenon and that there
were reasons to doubt the success of
other autocratic administrations else
where, q different opinion toward dicta-
torial forms OF government became
popular among them. The consequence
of such change of opinion, intensified
by the mistakes and abuses on the part
Of the 'iron-hsnded" regimes in Latin
America, can be observed in this gen.
eral reaction against the men who
thought themselves TO be the chosen
of Providence" to rule their peoples.
Politically speaking, then, far from
darkening the Democratic, prestige Of
Latin America this almost unanimous