Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-02
CONTINUED From Tbird PAGE !

| NOOhSAAACO ETOIu 1I1lIQ EdRe.)
sent abroad as a pernicious politician
after two weeks in the peY1itentiary
| charged with assault on the basis of
| his lively defense of his home. His
return, after six years, was the signal
| for a great public demonstration. and
this he followed, on July 4, 1919, with a
bloodless coup d'etat, deposing President
Pardo, his old opponent and the chief
| OF the conservative wing Of Peruvian
politics. Shortly thereafter Leguia was
elected PRESIDENT for the first Of his
present series OF terms. Soon after his
election the constitution was amended
to allow reelection, and he has now
just entered upon his third five-year
term.
Drama Within Drama.
The drama of President Leguias po-
litical ups and downs in Peru has gone
on behind the far more spectacular
work that he has done for Peru with
his right hand, while his left, so to
speak, has been occupied with the prob
lens OF his political control Yet the
material things outlined above are the
background, and there is still another
phase-the financial rehabilitation of
Peru. This has been the work of Leguia
alone, and the recognition Of Peru in the
a recognition of the work that this one
man has done and is doing.
From 1871 to 1905 Peru could Dor
row not one cent of money abroad, and
the loans OF 1905 and 1909 were both
secured by pledge of all the revenues
from the government MONOPOLY on the
sale Of salt, while the loan Of 1922 was
supported by a pledge of the guano
revenues. In 1927, however, the dam
was broken, and from that date to the
present, Peru has borrowed or refunded
at lower rates, total of close to $780,
100000.
This rehabilitation of Peru's financial
standing before the worId-for these
loans are without specific guarantees
and without fiscal agent collecting the
service out of current revenue-telIs
more clearly than any description the
work that Leguia has done. The prob
lem of more loans for carrying on the
great public works program is now be-
fore the President and the bankers.
Lima Is HOtbed Of Gossip.
Lima is a hotbed of gossip, and hot
bed, too OF peSSimiSn-and vet there is
the most astonishing faith in and awe
Of the little man down in the govern
ment palace. Leguia has never rested
content; he has never been satisfied to
do one thing at a time. He has never
brought his work clear up to date
else how could he be working as far
ahead as he must? The New York
banker does not finish up each job and
tie 1t up in pink ribbon before he starts
the next-nor does this business man
President Of Peru. And the world recog-
nizes and honors him, despite gossip
and talk OF graft and wastage by his
underiings; There is such falkland
well founded, too-but were President
Leguia to halt his public works program
until the graft were eliminated from
every phase Of his government, there
would be no public works program any
more than there would be in New York
City.
That public works program includes
many things-roads and public build
ings and port works and government
factories and sanitation. Leguia himself
has put in more Succinctly than any one
else: Figures do not lie; they are the
co-efhcient Of reality. Confronted by
them, 1t can only be said that Peru is
saved; saved by the timely substitution
OF healthy habits of work and order for
those OF dissipation and anarchy" He
traces this to the changing of the ira
ditional policies, one Of which he notes
as municipal hygiene In place of mu-
nicipal decoration
Ancient Palace is Rebuilt.
The building program Of Peru has in
cluded not only the reconstruction of
the ancient palace of Pizarro in Lima
into a modern structure, beautiful In
the old style and yet superbly and COM
pletely done, but also the construction
OF modern factory where the govern
ment tobacco monopoly under the con-
troll OF a wise and capable young execu-
tive from the United States produces its
wares in the most sanitary and efficient
surroundings.
1t includes, too, the modernization of
the chief port Of the country, Callao,
where American contractors are Gre
at1ng port that will rival any on the
whole Pacific Coast, and will cut freight
handling costs to half Of what they are
today. Paving and sanitation Of 80
cities has been and is the ideal of Presi-
dent Leguia, and from Lima, the vice.
regal capital, to Cuzco, the splendid
ancient capital of the Incas in the
heights OF the Andes, the work has been
going on apace. Education in the prac-
tical arts of husbandry and agricul-
ture and In the higher fields of learn
ing (for Peru has the Oldest university
In the New World-that of San Mar.
cos) has been given attention, and the
school OF Agriculture has a new plant
ana new farmlands in the outskirts of
Lima, and the sheep herders have
model grange in the highlands of the
South.
But all these are practical things
through which, however. the man Ie.