Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-27
A.. B., and Now G..

Chile has at length taken its place
with the other South American states
of the "A. B. c." group, Argentina and
Brazil-in alphabetical order, be it
noted-having preceded her in diveSt-
ing themselves of their respective
Presidents. In forcing the resignation
of President Carlos Ibanez at Santiago
yesterday, the Chilean people complete
the circle of Latin American revolu-
tons which set in a year ago. Chile
has gone the way Of Bolivia, Peru, Ar
gentina, Brazil, Guatemala and
Panama. Today it is almost easier to
tabulate the Latin republics which
have not upset their governments than
to recall the many which have been
overthrow by exasperated peoples.
President Ibanez, Chiles self-styled
man of destiny" has met the fate of
Leguia of Peru, Irigoyen of Argentina.
and Luis of Brazil. Each was accused
of usurping authority and turning a
supposedly popular government into
personal regime. Gomez, dictator of
Venezuela, remains the only pillar of
autocracy south of the Equator Only
recently he sought to strengthen his
stranglehold by having himself desig-
mated as commander in chief of the
country's armed forces. To date he
has survived all attempts to unhorse
him, although lis newly-acquired power
suggests that he may feel himself
slipping.
Chile has lowered on the brink of
revolution throughout the past tempes-
tuous year in South America. Presi-
dent Ibanez in February, 1881, sought
TO ward off impending disaster to him.
self by securing from the Chilean
Senate the grant of dictatorial powers
during the ensuing four month recess
of Congress The legislation, requested
to meet possible financial emergencies,
gave acts of the President, if counter
signed by the premier, the validity of
acts of Congress. In April President
Ibanez accepted the designations of
five members of his cabinet, supplant-
ing them with men more in sympathy
with his program for governmental
economy"
Throughout the Summer, neverthe-
less, the fires of revolt have smoldered
in Santiago. Into what fury they were
eventually famed the Santiago revolu-
tons casualty list of sXty-odd dead
and hundreds wounded tells its own
story. The economic depression-root
cause of most of South Americas poll
tical unrest since 1929-drifted from
bad to worse. Copper and nitrate,
Chile's great staples, slumped in the
world market like other basic ccmmodi-
ties. President Ibanez's attempt to
stave of the evil day by forming
government monopoly in nitrate failed.
largely because Of the heavy decrease
in consumption of that fertilizer by
American cotton growers. Copper
simultaneously fell from a former
stabilized price Of eighteen cents a
pound to around eight cents. Chilean
national finances, SO vitality dependent
on export of copper and nitrate, were
plunged into catastrophe disarray, and
Carlos Ibanez, once hailed as the ma
tons savior because of his ambitious
educational, humanitarian and fiscal
policies, tottered from grace and pop
ular favor.
Perhaps the deposed Chilean Presi-
dent might have ridden the storm, but
his country recalled that Ibanez once
proclaimed that he enjoyed divine
guidance in ruling as he thought nee
essary," and ador ed the principal
precepts of Benito Mussolini and former
dictator Primo de Rivera. The man
OF destiny" turned out to be broken
reed instead of a rod of iron when an
incipient students revolt against mis-
authority burst out in Santiago last
week.
Today, a fugitive from the wrath of
his people after four years of Dictator
ship, Carlos Ibanez fades into Latin
Americas history as another President
who had his fling, only to have it
violently terminated when national
patience reached the breaking point.