Evening star., 1932-05-22
BY GASTON NERVAL.

EXT wednesday the largest
Spanish American republic
VI will celebrate her Fourth Of
On May 25. 122 years ago,
Argentina began her revolutionary
war to gain independence from the
Spanish crown. Complete autonomy
was not achieved until several years
later. in 1916, when the republic was
officially proclaimed. But it was on
May 25, 1910, that the Argentine
patriots, impressed by the political
ideas of the French philosophers who
sent Louis XVI to the guillotine and
encouraged by the independence Of the
English colonies of America. solemnly
announced to the world their inten-
ton to cut loose from the Spanish
yoke
This year her national day finds
Argentina in one of the most interest
ing periods of her political and eco
nomic development.
Revolt Not Surprise.
In September, 1880, a quick-f1re rev.
olution, which followed on the heels
of similar events in Bolivia and Peru.
overthrew the personalistic regime of
President Irigoyen. Although il was
the first time since the unifcation Of
the country that a political change
had been brought about by force in
Argentina, the revolt was not a COM
plete surprise. All of Latin America
was then experiencing the effects of a
wave of intense political unrest, precip-
itated by distressing worldwide eco
nomic conditions.
Gen. Uriburu, the leader of the rev.
olution, assumed control through
provisional government. Backed by
conservative elements and the armed
forces of the country, he established a
state of siege and began a difficult
task of reorganization of the admin
istrative and electoral machinery.
In a period of transition and re-
forms, and in the midst of the gravest
financial crisis of the century, PreSi-
dent Uriburu had a hard time pre-
serving internal order and answering
the charges of arbitrariness which his
strong-hand policies provoked.
Had Leaders With Him.
At the beginning he had the nation,
or, at least, a vast majority of the
thinking public with him, for he had
deposed an inept administration. But
he soon discovered that the political
parties opposed to the ousted regime
were weakened by internal strife, while
the Irigoyen radical party, united in ad-
NG4olUy. SIlOWeu d anu uIlGOIl-
promising front.
This situation made the provisional
governments position the more diff
cult Convinced that the aims Of the
revolution were in jeopardy. President
Ur1buru did not hesitate to take all
necessary steps to prevent a return to
power of the men he had overthrown.
In doing so he had to exercise almost
dictatorial powers and put, temporarily,
aside constitutional provisions. He eX-
lied the opposition leaders banned them
from becoming candidates for Offices
and even Cancelled provisional elections
which favored them.
These measures, which cost him his
popularity, finally resulted in the ab-
stention of the Radical party from the
presidential elections last November.
Won Wide Applause.
In the meantime, however, President
UriburuS activity and zeal in the re-
organization of the countrys economics
won him widespread applause. He eff
fected budget reductions estimated at not
less than 50,000000 pesos year, created
new taxes, rearranged customs tariffs,
kept intact Argentina'S national credit
abroad and, in general, showed an
energy in administrative matters very
much in contrast with the leniency and
dilatory methods characteristic of the
Irigoyen government.
A report of the Foreign Policy ASso-
citation, published last october, review
ing political conditions in Argentina,
concluded with these words:
only the events of the next few
months will determine whether the
Uriburu regime is attempting to estab-
lish dictatorship or to restore consti-
tutional government"
Contrary to what a large number of
outside observers believed, Provisional
President Uriburu finally did the latter.
He called general elections for Novem-
Der, 1881, and, although Radical candi-
dates were absent the head of the new
constitutional government was chosen
in a most orderly and democratic man
ner.
Two Were COntenders.
Two were the contending candidates.
Gen. Justo, one of the leaders of the
1880 revolution and supported by nu-
merouS small political parties scattered
all over the country, presented himself
as the National Democrat candidate.
His opponent, Dr. de la Tore, a lawyer
and a veteran of political campaigns,
was the choice of the Democrat Social
lists, and was supposed to have the
sympathieS of many Radicals.
Final computation of votes several
weeks after the election assured the
victory of Gen. Justo. Last February
he was inaugurated as Chief Executive,
and the Argentine Republic returned to
a constitutional status Gen Uriburu
sailed for Europe, where he died a
natural death only a few weeks ago
The present he3d of the Argentine
government is well known beyond the
border lines of his own country. One
of the most distinguished leaders Of
the Argentine army, he is not the type
of Latin American general which has
figured so often in the past in Central
and South American politics
Gen. JuSto belongs to the so-called
intellectual group of the Argentine
army. Highly educated, having OBJ
tanned an engineering degree in his
youth, and having formed part of diplo-
matte missions to foreign countries, he
was already national figure before
his active participation in the 1880 re-
volt added to his prestige.
During the administration of Presi-