Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-11-12

Observers IN this country find IN the
recent national election in Chile eVi-
dence that the country has overcome
a somewhat chaotic condition IN when
disturbances were common and IN which
there was danger Of o dictator OF rad
ical tendencies. Indications OF staple,
liberal government are observed In tne
return Of Arturo AeSsandr1 TO the posi-
of executive by an extremely large VOC
In an election in which his cnieI op,
ponent was Marmaduke Grove, who mao
threatened an upheaVal N the country
O few months ago.
"ChiIe,s decisive vote will probably
bring to an end the radical plans TO
change that country into q Western
soviet" says the Salt Lake Deseret
News. while the Rochester Times Union
makes the comment on the results OF
the election: after . Summer IN
which there has been considerable ex-
element and uncertainty In Chile. the
voters have elected former President
AIessandri who Is reported to nave
so per cent or more Of the total vote,
though there were i've other candi-
dates. One Of the rivals was Col
Grove, q radical, who seized the gov
eminent early in the Summer ana nelo
It for q week He had been exheo
to Easter Island, but was permitted to
return for the election. HIS vote wa
very small. Communist ana Socianst
candidates received much lighter sup
mort than had been expected. 1t Is
possible that, for a time at least, po-
iitical conditions in that country may
settle down and that better conditions
viii be reported from Chile In the near
future"
"Arturo Alessandri won the presi-
dency in 1920 as Liberal" recalls the
philadelphia Evening Bulletin, and
was ousted several years later when
the Conservative Ibanez was chosen.
He now comes into office as the ex-
ponent of what he calls practical So
cialism.' His previous career lnocates
that his political creed has nothing OF
doctrinaire Marxism In 1t. On consul
tutional questions he has stood Tor the
greater characterization Of the govern
mental system, opposing particularly
the power of the Senate, strong Wnen
he was first elected. He was especia,ly
friendly to labor, but the program ne
favored did not 20 beyond the staples
of radical demand, the eight-hour day,
the minimum wage, old age and otner
forms of social insurance. be mas ms
chance in that he stands before the
world as the legal head OF O govern
ment which received the stamp OF con-
Stitutionality by agreement OF all iac-
tions to refer the choice OF the heao
of the state to popular election. On
this basis this country and Great
britain recognized the provisional
regime which had grown out OF the
series of revolutions in the last nVe
IT was Alessandri," according to the
Jersey City journal, who was crediteo
with drafting the constitution ADOPTED
by an overwhelming majority AUGUST
80, 1925, when he was President. Inc
new constitution was hailed as great
advance in liberalism. as step. bringing
the Republic of Chile nearer the goal
of democratic self-government. But, to
Judge from the troubled record OF Chile
since then, the people had not yet risen
FAR enough from the slough OF general
illjteracy. The last six years have been
wears of political turmoil. Presidents
have been ousted. Revolutions and
mutiny have stained the land with
blood. In the meantime discovery of
how to manufacture at q profit nitrate
out of the air has put serious crimp
in Chile's greatest mining industry; not
only have government export revenues
dwindled, but unemployment has finally
blighted the lot Of the Chilean working
man. In this election President Ales-
sandri's principal rival was Col. Marina
duke Grove, Socialist and revolutionary.
It will be a strenuous task for the newly
elected President to lead his nation
through hard times up toward the high
plateau which he envisaged when he
drew up the present constitution. It
will be q hard job to preserve the gov
eminent and to observe the constitu-
tion--which has been fiouted a plenty
during the last half-dozen years. For