Evening star., 1930-11-30
PUNISHING THE GUILTY.

HAWO south American eX-PreS1-
dents are awaiting in prison the
outcome of heated trials for
shady governmental finances
during their terms of ONCE.
They are charged with having profited
privately with national funds and hav-
ing let their political friends do like
wise while they were in control Of the
administration.
Former ministers of state and other
high government officials in four Latin
American countries are facing similar
charges and either hiding or fleeing be-
yond the border while these are inves-
tigated.
The newspapers of Argentina, Brazil,
Bolivia and Peru are full Of these re-
ports of legal proceedings, ordered by
the newly established authorities against
the heads Of the overthrown regimes in
these four Southern republics.
This Is one of the outstanding char
acteristics of the present political move
ment in South America which makes 1t
so different from the classic, traditional
Latin upheaVRlS that for a whole CEN
tury had been filling the history Of the
neighboring republics. Heretofore So
called popular revolt in a Latin Ameri-
can country amounted to but the subSti-
tuition of a certain group of men for
another, with no signs Of improvement
on administrative methods or the aban-
donment of immoral practices in the
exercise of power. In general the faults
and misdeedS Of the deposed authorities,
whose lack of scrupleS in financial mat
Nod a fVoxyr ria al cfn ~
revolutions, were looked upon with in
difference after these revolts had sue
ceeded. The guilty ones usually walked
out elegantly to enjoy in some distant
country the fortunes piled up under
cover of government positions, their
successors being more concerned with
the thought Of getting rid Of them than
with their punishment.
Now, however, keen sense Of re-
sponsibility seems to have awakened
on the other side of the Rio Grande.
during the IL years Of his iron-handed
regime had dictatorially controlled the
finances of the country, Is held prisoner
in Lima by the military authorities now
in charge of the situation and being
tried for embezzlement of public funds
He Is accused of having accumulated q
large private fortune through the grant
ing of privileges and concessions for
the exploitation of PeruS natural re-
sources. He is also blamed for having
been too liberal In the distribution Of
public funds to his political friends and
supporters and for having misused a
considerable part Of the national in
come for exclusively partisan purposes.
The trial has made necessary an in
quiry into Leguia's personal wealth, the
origin of all his present properties and
bank accounts being now under inves-
tigation Of the new government, as well
as those Of his sons and OF his closest
comrades in the old administration.
Some of these have been found in pos
session of considerable fortunes, one of
the former dictator's sons having an
account of nearly q million dollars with
New York firm.
In a similar position is Senor Irigo-
yen. the recently depoSed President Of
Argentina, who is a prisoner OF the
Uriburu government, and will remain
one until certain charges of q financial
nature are cleared up before the Argen-
tine courts. The recourse of "habeas
corpus" invoked by Irigoyen's lawyers
has Just been denied by the new au-
thoritieS OF the country, and public
opinion Is demanding a close inveStiga-
ton of those charges before the old
and eccentric chieftain Is given his free
dom. In the meantime the BuenoS
Aires government is also getting evi-
dence to convict some of the men who
participated in the Irigoyen admins
tration and are suspected of having
profited under it. With this en- in
view, the Argentine Legation in Monte
video asked last week of the Uru-
guayan Government the extradition Of
Senior Oyhanarte, minister Of foreign
affairs under the 1rigoyen administra-
ton, who sought refuge in Uruguayan
territory at the triumph Of the military
upset in BuenoS Aires. A million-dolla
fortune or more amaSsed by Senor
Oyhanarte during ,sis long tenure of
office has logically aroused the sus-
picion Of his compatriots.
The tribunals of public sanction
| functioning in Lima. Buenos Aires and
Rio constitute a splendid innovation in
Latin American politics. II materially
much cannot be expected Of them, NOR
ally they will have a tremendous infiu-
ence In purifying political activities
nnMn kanEA and N AnAoalIaAinl m0rn