Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25
FOUR ACES.

w Whoever follows Latin Amer
IA lean news in the daily pa
wv pers must have been sur
prised to read on three
different days Of the past
week that man who had been Presi-
dent of Guatemala "only a few weeks
ago" would soon arrive in the United
States, and that each time the mans
name was a different one.
A dispatch from New Orleans an
nounced that Gen. Lazaro Chacon, who
| until recently was the chief executive
of Guatemala" was expected with his
family in that city, whence he would
proceed to New York and sail for Ger
many.
A cable from Guatemala City stated
that Senior Baudilio Palma, last month
President Of Guatemala and now po-
| litical exile" had secured his passports
to leave for the United States.
And, finally, an Associated Press re-
port from Havana announced the ar
rival in the Cuban capital Of Gen. Man
| uel Orellana. The report added that Gen.
Orellana was on his way to the United
States, whose Government only some
weeks ago had refused to recognize him
as President of Guatemala.
Believe it or not, the three dispatches
are all true. They may afford material
for one of Ripley's cartoons, but they
are faithful reports of historical events.
last few weeks Guatemala has changed
her chief executive four times.
Gen. Lazaro Chacon, the constitu-
! tionally elected president, gave up his
| duc:cs on account of ms broken nealtil
so at least 1t was said-and Senior
Baudilio Palma, the nominal second
vice president, was sworn in as chief
executive of the Central American re-
public. The first vice president, Gen.
Leon, did not entirely approve of this
arrangement and soon started an armed
revolt. in which he unfortunately lost
his life.
This movement having finally sue
| ceeded and Senior Palma deprived of
the executive duties, Gen. Orellana was
called in TO preside over the new Qua
| temalan government This he did for
but a short time, for the United States
| and other American republics refused
to accord him recognition, in accord
ance with the provisions of a joint
Central American treaty which pro-
hibits the recognition of a president
obtaining that Office through revolution.
This attitude forced Gen. Orellana.
too, to walk of the stage and make
room for a new chief executive in Qua
temala, who has already been recognized
by this and other nations of the world.
Thus, with four different executives
in month, Guatemala now enjoys the
privilege of having three recently for
mer presidents" at a time, which is
almost as bad as the case of that friend
of mine in La Paz who married four
| times, lost three of his wives, and still
has to support his four mothers-in-law.
NO MORE FRAUDS.
To the many examples of a rare
democratic spirit which Colombia has
been giving during the last few months
we must now add new one-the CO.
lombian Senate has passed law pro-
viding that any citizen convicted of cor
ruption and dishonesty in the next
congressional elections will be sentenced
to three years Imprisonment and the
loss of his civil rights.
This severe measure is in accordance
with the purpose of the present Colom-
bian government to insure the honesty
OF the next electoral contest and the
free exercise in it of the popular will.
| Heretofore electoral frauds, corruption,
| the marketing of votes and the use of
/ force were almost traditional in Colon
bian as well as in other Latin -Ameri-
| can elections. The government in Bo-
gotta has now decided TO bring about a
| radical change, one which will place
electoral methods nearer to democracy
and more in accord with the liberal
tendency which the progressive South
ern republic is following today.
1t is not so long ago that in this
same column we praised President
Olaya Herrera of Colombia for instruct
ing all departmental authorities to OBJ
serve the strictest impartiality in the
coming elections and to accord full and
equal guarantees to every contending
candidate. We said at that time that
such an attitude was unusual and
praiSeWorthy in a continent where until
recently it was not only customary but
almost unavoidable that the men in
power should lend full aid to the can
didates of their own party. throwing in
the weight Of government support on
their behalf.
And it is not long ago, either, that
we had occasion to applaud the con-
stitutional reforms adopted by the CO.
lombian Congress in order to prevent
state deputies from using their political
influence in having themselves elected
| national senators, thus taking unfair
advantage of the old electoral system.
| Neither is it long since the press of the
entire continent rejoiced at the decision
OF the Colombian high army officers in
asking to be denied the right to vote
or to intervene in any way in the course
of domestic politics in the country. In
year which saw the downfall of six
Latin American administrations at the
hands of military chieftains this altru-
istic attitude of the Colombian army
gave a remarkable contrast.
All these instances are proving the
| firm determination of the Colombian
authorities to preserve the soundneSs of
their political INSTITUTIONAL rather
strange determination in these days OF
political unrest, dissatisfaction and vio-
lent upheavals on the Latin American
stage.
MORE TEACHERS, FEWER SOLDIERS
Colombia is not alone, however, in
this democratic development and in this
departure from militariStic tendencies
A New York daily has just mentioned
editorially the fact that Costa Rica, the
progressive little Central American re-
public viii have in 1891 an Amy Of