Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06
BY CASTOR NERVAL.

TIME wild popular applause which
greeted the Chilean dictators
overthrow last month was still
Il being heard across the Andes.
when another South American
Chief Executive stepped out of power
/ a few days ago.
This time it was the turn of Dr. Isl
dro Ayora. since 1926 undisputed ruler
of the small but progressive Republic
| OF Ecuador. Confronted with bitter OPP
position in Congress and hostile public
! opinion. the man who had ruled
Ecuador with a strong hand for the last
! six years gIccumbed last week to his
enemies. Handing in his resignaticn
/ an "irrevocable" one-the severe, labori-
Gus, non-political President made a
gracious exit, quite in contrast with that
of some of his colleagues who were
ousted by force of arms, in other Latin
American nations, during the last II
months.
Instead of daring to resist public
opinion and thus precipitate a conflict
| between the government and the people
"a conflict which other Latin exec
utives unfortunately did not avoid-Dr.
Ayora was sensible and brave enough
to recognize that he could count no
I longer upon the popular support which
had made his ascension to the presi-
dency possible. And he had the hon.
esty to proceed accordingly. He did
, not wait until conditions were extreme
and violent incidents had led to blood
shed and internal disorder. He fore
saw these and made them unnecessary.
Accepts Rule Of Ma jority.
Abiding by the will of the Majority,
he stepped aside and deposited the reins
of government in the hands of those in
Into tnd NV ho
| more democratic course, indeed, than
that adopted by most of his companions
in disgrace-the other Latin American
! ousted PreSidentS-Who either didn't
have the vision to recognize the gravity
of the situation when it first presented
itself, or else didn't have the courage to
admit their unpopularity and face their
political fate.
! 1t is due to this different attitude of
the Ecuadorean executive that the re-
cent political change in that country
| peating themselves in other Latin
American countries in the last two
! years.
These were the result of armed up
! risings in which the entire population,
without distinction OF political colors,
rose against the repudiated authorities
and finally overthrow them by violence
with the aid of the armed forces of the
! nation.
| In the case of Ecuador, there has not
been any popular outbreak. No army
upriSings, no government resistance, no
casualties, no bloodshed, no violence
whatsoever. Only strong public
| opinion condemning the presidential
policies and a well organized, bitter
parliamentary opposition which finally
| imposed its will.
Nation Nearing Maturity.
In Latin America. have often said,
the smaller countries seem destined to
achieve the greatest political and demo-
| cratic development. Ecuador, together
with Uruguay and Costa Rica, always
has been known for its advanced po-
litical ideals and progressive legislation.
The way in which the country has just
confronted its latest crisis is corrobo-
ration of the fact that Ecuador is
| nearer to democratic maturity than
some of the neighboring republics.
which cannot yet see their way out OF
the chaotic situation in which they were
plunged by their recent revolutions.
1t is true that conditions in Ecuador