Evening star., 1932-01-31
NEW REGIME In SALVADOR
FACES RECOGNITION FIGHT
of Martial Law by Pro.
visional Government Reveals Seri-
business of Political Situation.

! in preserving internal order while 1t
remained on the side of the constitu-
tiOnal government, now that it has
taken over the government itself it
may be difficult to avoid its direct par
ticipation in the solution of the present
crisis.
How decisive this influence will
finally prove and how impartial judg-
ment may be expected from the newly
elected National Assembly will be only
known after this has met. At any
rate, the convening of the Assembly to
decide upon the issues at stake is the
only way indicated by the constitution
to procure the establishment of new
legal regime.
Recognition Problem.
Thus its approaching Inauguration
brings forth to the limelight the prob
lem of recognition, the major difficulty
in the Salvadorean political tangle.
Leaving aside the moral considera-
tionS involved, which alone would Suf-
fee to condemn the presence of Gen.
Martinez in the presidency there are
specific legal obstacles which prevent
his recognition.
There is a Central American treaty
which formally prevents the recogni-
ton of any regime established by vio-
lence in any one of the Central Ameri-
can republics. This same treaty, which
is the Washington treaty of 1928, pro-
vides that none of the leaders of the
revolt nor their relatives and no one
having had post in the cabinet of
the deposed President within a period
of six months previous to the rebellion
can be recognized as head of the new
government after this has been legal
lied by constitutional means.
In other words, all those having had
a part in the revolution or having
served in the cabinet of the ousted
President are barred not only from be-
ing recognized as provisional executives,
but also from intervening as candidates
in the presidential elections which may
follow coup d'etat.
Leaders of Revolt.
Gen. Martinez's rule comes under
both. objections. He was both q leader
of the revolt-although he denies this
stoutly-and a member of President
Araujo's cabinet. Until few days be-
fore the armed forces overthrow PreSi-
dent Araujo, Gen. Martinez was his
minister of war Therefore, in rpite
of the fact that he was also the elected
vice president of the country and thus,
according to the Salvadorean consti
tuition, entitled to succeed Araujo, Gen.
Martinez has been denied recognition
by all the Central American govern
ments, in view Of the specific provt-
sions of the 1923 treaty.
The United States is not party to
this treaty, but having promoted 1t, it
has formally announced that its policy
toward Central American governments
will follow that laid down by the treaty
Accordingly the State Department has
denied recognition to Gen. Martinez.
To the strictly legal objection pro-
yided by the Washington treaty, others
of a moral nature would have to be
added if one would undertake to dis
cuss the origin and possible justifica
tions of the armed movement which
put Martinez in power; the attitude of
tie young army officers who sat rs
Judges of the constitutional govern
ment; the alleged-but in fact imposed
abandonment" of the presidency by
Araujo: the responsibility which Gen.
Martinez must logically have shared
with ex-President Araujo and his COL
league In the administration just over
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