Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-08
BY CASTOR NERvAL.

w WITH the British elections In
the limelight, presidential
wv elections which have recent
~ been held in three South
American countries have
more or less escaped the attention OF
political observers throughout the world
And yet these elections may be con-
sidered. both for the circumstances
under which they were held, and LOT
their outcomes, the most signlncan!
ones that Latin America has witnessed
in a number Of years.
Absorbed in the front-page news OF
British politics, Mr.. Newspaper Reader
paid little attention to the announce.
ment of elections in Chile, Peru ana
Ecuador. Juyt enough attention 10
scarcely realize that here were tnree
South American republics which pre-
fcrred to choose their rulers by pal
lots rather than by bullets.
Yet. If he had stopped to study the
results of those elections and compare
them. he would have found, curiousiy
enough, the same striking feature IN al
of them that made so impressive Lne
overwhelming victory OF MacDonaio
National government in Great brlCaHl'
The same turn of public opinion
toward conservatism, the same SWING
to the Right which is the chief outcome
of the British elections Is present IN
the presidential contests which had lot
a scenario the southern repubncS Oh
Chile. Peru and Ecuador.
This common characteristic they nave
with the British referendum gives the
elections in these three Latin American
states an international importance. Be
cause it shows that that conservative
spirit which made itself felt In Englano
was net confined to the limits OF the
British Isles. While the National can
didates" of Macdonald and the Con-
servatives were sweeping on TO victory
in the British polls, across the ocean
thousands of miles away, the same re-
action Of popular sentiment against tne
Left was causing the selection OF con
sentative leaders to conduct the oeS.
TIMES Of three of the most important
Latin American republics.
| Same Public Opinion.
This is, precisely, the outstanding
feature of the presidential contests II
Chile. Peru and Ecuador. II one ex-
amineS carefully the conditions leao-
ing up to them, the platforms of1ereo
the personalities involved, 1t Is easy u
find in all of them the Identical lean-
ing of public opinion toward the hlenC
In all three cases, the CONSERVATIVE
candidates. those who had the supper,
OF the better classes and the f1nancla
circles, emerged victorious. MonterC
in Chile, Sanchez Cerro in Peru anc
Bonifaz in Ecuador, represented tnS
conservative spirit, as against o teno'
ency Of reform and more or less raolcs
changes which the other candidates 40,
vocated, to the qualification OF the Lei
sectors.
The success Of these three men-twc
OF whom were until recently almos.
unknown and the other an exile IRON
his own country until . few week.
aegean only be explained py
strong reaction of popular sentlmen:
in favor of the established ORDER Oh
things.
Hidalgo and Alessandri in Chile
Haya de Ia Tore in Peru ana ever
the Liberal candidates In ECUADOR, naO
included in their platforms revSM !,
tlonary principles which gave tnen
candidates. flavor decidedly 80
cialistic, to say the least. Trying q
attract the support Of the popuaal
masses snd overestimating. the lnn"'