Evening star., 1934-07-29

1STURBED by recurring peri
DDS of political unrest and
burdened by her share of the
- world depression. Perus
birthday anniversary found
her, yesterday, in a most interesting
and trying moment of her history.
In August, 1880. the autocratic
eleven-year rule of Augusta B. Leguia
was brought to a dramatic end by the
armed uprising of the southern mill
tary forces, under Col. Sanchez Cerro.
Overwhelmingly supported by the peo-
pie. the rebellion had no major diff
Guilty in rendering Leguia powerless
and in sending him from the Pizarro
palace to the national penitentiary to
pay for his political errors and NAL
administration of the public funds.
At first Sanchez Cerro was, of
course, hailed as the saviour of the
country. The old conservative ele-
ments praised him for the restoration
of public liberties and the end of a
personalistic dictatorship. The mid
die class-the professionals, the busi-
ness men, the intellectuals, the lib
erals and all independent groups
welcomed him as their deliverer from
an odious regime which had trampled
down individual liberties and almost
monopolized business activities. Final
ly, the more radical elements, the
sectors of the Left, which during the
eleven years of the dictatorship had
lived literally under the ground" were
no less enthusiastic and optimistic in
their hopes for the future. They were
confident that Sanchez Cerro, sue
ceeding a regime of absolutism and
special privileges, would bring about
a new order, in which social justice
and modern trends for the nationah-
zation of natural resources would ,e
given greater consideration.
Martial Law Prolonged.
But this optimism did not last long.
Soon Sanchez Cerro began to give
the impression that his success
for the Peruvian people. He pro-
longed martial law throughout the
republic. maintained press censorship,
and even had recourse TO the same
OLD methods that the deposed ruler.
Leguia, had employed for many years
to stifle public opposition. Political
"detenidos" again began to leave Peru
Wan ports, and others went to I'LL
anew the prison of San Lorenzo.
Naturally, it was not long before
his popularity began to wane. The
first signs of discomfort came in the
form of strikes Of workingmen and
Ell nh fnh fy
suited in violence and bloodShed.
And when rumors of his political
ambitions were confirmed by his an
nouncement that he intended to
stand for election as constitutional
President for the regular five-year
term, public opposition reached its
climax. The outcome of an election
held under the direction of the same
person who was to be the chief can
didate was, of course. not difflcult to
ascertain in advance. Two armed
uprisings - one in the southern
metropolis of Arequipa and another
in the northern region-hnally forced
Provisional President Sanchez Cerro
TO hand in his resignation and fee
the country
His exit from Peru. however, was
followed by a series of internal up
sets, which denloralized the country
and offered fertile ground for the
propagation of radical tendencies
Three subsequent armed upriSings re-
suited in an equal number of changes
in the executive. 1t was not until
the colorless regime Of Samanez
Ocampo had succeeded in restoring
governmental stability that the con-
stitutional elections demanded by the
people could be called.
But by that time the sectors Of
the Left had TO such an extent be-