Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-15
LATIN ELECTIONS SUPPORT
THEORY OF GENERAL TREND
Political Tendency in One Country
Rapidly Spreads to Others With
Similar Conditions.

come to pieces, that is, when they had
lost their confidence in dictatorial gov
eminent. their dislike for it grew as
rapidly, or considerably more so than
their previous enthusiasm.
Opposition to strong executives be-
came, also general, and nothing more
than the first outburst of violence.
staged by the Bolivians, was necessary
to set the flame on fire.
Revolution Became Fashion.
Revolution became then the fashion,
and iron-hand governments were over
thrown with even greater swiftnesS
than they had come into power. The
influence of this psychological con-
tagion-made more acute by economic
complications and facilitated by the
presence of similar conditions in all the
countries involved-eXplains the series
of revolutionary upheavals which swept
over Latin America during 1880 and
1881.
The Bolivian revolt against the
menaced establishment of a person.
alistic regime was closely followed by
an uprising in Bolivia's northern
neighbor. Peru. against the 11-year rule
of Dictator-President Leguia. The
Little Mussolini of Peru" had been
considered immune from the attacks
of the opposition. but he appeared, over
night, defenseless against a nation
wide movement of reputation.
Leguia's fall was still on the front
peoe Of Latin American newspapers,
when the/personalistic rule of President
Irigoyen, arbitrary chief executive of
Argentina, was also brought to a close
by military force. The Argentine re-
pubic had been thought to have passed
the stage of violent changes of govern
ment, but this time even the most
progressive of the Latin American ma
tons succumbed to the revolutionary
fever which was to liberate the South
ern Hemisphere from autocratic hands.
Brazil. the largest country in the
New World, followed in the footsteps
of Argentina, and there, too, new
government, more democratic. more
liberal. was established at the point of
bayonets.
Welcomed by Central America.
GUATEMALA, Panama, followed the list
and carried the revolutionary trend to
Central America, where it was well
coined by the people with the same
fervor and joy which had accompanied
the violent changes Ct government In
the south.
And finally, only few months ago.
in Chill, the last of the A B c powers
where remnants of absolutism still ex-
listed, the regime of Gen. Carlos Ibanez,
was overthrown by force of arms.
The revolutionary process was thus
made continental one. Only two
strong governments have survived it.
those of Venezuela and Cuba, due to
particular circumstances which it is not
pertinent to discuss here.
The revolutions which upset Latin
America in such dramatic succession
gave the second example, in decade.
of the generalization CT political trends
in that part of the world.
The third instance is now being
given by the constitution of democratic
governments, very similar in character
and principles to resume constitutional
life in those countries which inter-
rupted it, temporarily to GUST their
autocratic rulers.
All the new governments inaugu-
rated in Latin America as a consequence
of constitutional elections which fol-
lowed the military revolts have so far
showed to possess certain common char
acteriStics which confirm the theory
that political tendencies On that side
of the Rio Grande are widespread and
| general.
Just as they were the first ones to
resort to violence, the Bolivians were
also the first ones to return to a nor
NAL and constitutional rule. They
cipleS, of the conservative type. Senior
Salamanca was the only guaranty Of
stability ana order, for he had the
confidence of all political parties, and
SO the Bolivians selected him, unani-
mouSly, to head the new adminiStra-
ton.
Conservatives Triumph.
Also by the unanimous vote Of his
fellow citizens, Gen. Ubico was next
elected President of Guatemala. He,
like Senior Salamanca in Bolivia, was
the joint candidate of all political Sec
tors. The GuatemalanS were also look
ing for conservative, nationalistic
government to lead the way to eco
nomic normalcy after the revolutionary
episode.
And then came the elections In
Chile, Peru and Ecuador. As pointed
cut last week, and briefly repeated at
the beginning of this article, the three
men victorious at the polls were the
choice Of the conservative elements
in those countries. Senior Montero in
Chile, Col Sanchez Cerro in Peru and
Senior Bonifaz in Ecuador, who repre-
sented the conservative reaction against
the left, and who could guarantee best
period Of order and stability, re-
ceived large majority of votes In
their respective countries.
Chileans, Peruvians and Ecuadoreans
have thus fallen in line with Guate-.
malans and Bolivians in their choice
Of conservative, nationalistic govern
ments History and the political psy-
chology of the Latin Americans lead
to the expectation that they may sim
be joined by other southern peoples
who hay! presidential elections In sight
The trend is nov fo- this tyne of gov
eminent.
(Copyright, 1917