Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-14

corruption will be no longer
~ possible In at least one coun-
~ try in the world. A law re-
Gently sanctioned by the gov
I eminent Of Guatemala prevents the IL
/ legal acquisition of wealth by employees
of the administration during their terms
Of office.
! Very properly. the law is called the
Claw Of probity" and is the outgrowth
| of Gen. Ubico's promises of an honest
/ administration which he solemnly made
on being inaugurated President of that
+; Central American republic a few
! months ago.
Article one of the law Of probity
makes it mandatory for all employees of
the Guatemalan government receiving
in excess OF 5000 monthly, or handling
public funds. to make an affidavit set
ting forth all their worldly possessions
at the time they take office. A detailed
record of all personal property owned
by government employees will thus
be kept by an officer of the national
treasury. Real estate, securities, in
dustrial interests or bank accounts of
any applicant for public Office must be
declared before he can be given a post.
Acquisitions to Be Listed.
The law further provides that in ad-
! assets, debts must be specified, the pos
| sessions of the wife and children of the
| employe, as well as all property held as
trustee, guardian and so on. More
over, article three provides that within
Is days of the acquisition Of property
in excess of $4,000 by an employee al
ready in Office, full particulars must be
recorded in an AFFIDAVIT filed with the
government auditor.
Ill. -
| iStration, the grafters and the treasure
hunters will thus be easily recognized
by merely comparing, their possessions
at the time they leave Office with those
they had when taking it.
Another article of the law provides
that neither the individuals affected by
| it, their relatives nor intimate friends,
may contract with the state for work
or supplies when the provisions of the
contract are to be enforced by the in
dividuals in question.
And still another proviso declares
| that if person is the owner of or a
| stakeholder in a mercantile or indus
| trial enterprise which produces goods
! for government consumption, he must
| take oath at the time of entering the
/ government service that the enterprise
will not supply the government during
the term Of his employment.
Grating Difficult.
| The original causes thus having been
removed, it BECOMES now a very COM
plicated and difficult task to profit at
! the expense of the government in Qua
| temala. In that country at least. the
sale of government influences" will be
forgotten
High officials Of the administration,
elected by popular vote or by the Ma
| tional Assembly, are not exempted from
the provisions of the law. They must
| Is Gays after their Inauguration in
| Office. They. too, must declare what
they have. so that when their term is
over it may BE- known what they had not.
The law of probity finally provides
that when government official or en-
+, ploye ceases to function, or even during
his tenure of Office, any person, by
| mere comparison of possessions. may
file charges against him with the state
auditor or treasurer. who will make an
/ immediate investigation and, If neces-
sary, place the facts before the courts
| It might be well to remember that
''facts placed before the courts" havd
lately placed former government off,
Gals behind the bars in several other
Latin American republics.
Law Is Original.
| The Guatemalan law of probity. an
original document in administrative
matters, is the logical outcome of ges-
ture Of the recently inaugurated Chief
/ Executive of that Central American
| country. AS soon as he heard the news
| of his election to the presidency of Qua
temala, Gen. Jorge Ubico stated: Il
shall make scrupulouSly careful in
ventory of my possessions, so that every
one may know exactly what have be-
fore becoming President, and may make
! due comparison when leave that
Office"
Soon afterward the elected Chief Ex-
! ecutive startled the statesmen and for
| eign diplomats assembled in Congress
to hear his inaugural message by in
Guiding detailed account Of his world
| ly possessions in his remarks.
| This attitude, closely following the
conviction of ex-PreSident Leguia Of
Peru for encouragement of publ!
| funds and the trials of a number o.
former government officials accused o.
illegal enrichment in other Southern
republics, attracted widespread atten
ton in political circles. 1t set an un'
precedented example for Southern
statesmen in the future.
In commenting upon Gen. Ubico.
gesture, said that he had shown him.
self a fine psychologist. He had dem