Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-03-13
Chilean Election Held
Credit 10 Country
And 10 Democracy
Utmost Calm Marks
Voting; Forces Of Left
Beot Those of Right
By MANUEL VEGA.

(Illle MdICn q, Inc CndUlDeT OF
Deputies, composed of lat members,
was entirely renewed. The Senate
is renewed in part every four years.
OF its As members, only 20 were
elected this time. The elections
were carried out in utmost calm, in
an atmosphere surprisingly peace
full, when the sharp tension of
Chilean political life in the last
months is considered.
The Minister of the Interior, Ar
turo Olavarria, youthful represent
alive of the Radical party, offered
ample electoral guarantees and he
knows how to keep his word. This
fact and the act of the election it
self. in my judgment, elevates the
name of Chile and demonstrates
that the democratic regime, Loyalty
adhered to, brings forth excellent
fruit.
The truth is that political regimes
are not valued so much for their
doctrines worth, as for the rectitude
or merit of the men charged with
carrying them out, for good or evil
of the common veal
A Complicated Picture.
The Chilean political panorama
is a complicated panorama; the
vision is capable of being altered
instantaneously In the years of
their existence, the old parties have
been divided or have had oriental
tons not so easy to explain in detail
The birth of new political forces,
derived from current political philos-
ophieS GdeOlogies) now abroad in
the world, moreover has not helped
to clarity the general situation.
On the eve of the last presidential
campaign, Chile seemed to be cut
into two blocks (bloques) completely
antagonistic and even irreconcil-
able: The Popular Front and the
Right. Luckily, this division, so alb
solute, has not been maintained and
everything tends to the belief that
the epithetS of yesterday will slowly
60 on erasing themselves and dis
appearing.
The major peril for any country
lies in this, the prolonging of hates.
1t is usual for such division to be the
obligatory prelude to civil war.
Three Large Historical Parties.
In Chile there are three historical
parties. The Conservative, the Lib
eral and the Radical Both Liberals
and Conservatives came into exist
ence with the republic. 1t could be
explained that the Liberals Strug-
gled for liberty and the Conserva-
tives for authority at the time the
republic was in its organizing stage.
At that time these two principles
were not easily reconciled. 1t rep
resents the struggle of the "pipiolos"
Oiberals) with the "pelucones"
(Conservatives).
Later across the 18th century,
the Liberals defended liberty of
conscience and education against
the Conservatives, who opposed
them. This is the religious struggle
of Chile, in which the Radical party
first essayed its weapons. AS time
went on, with the advance of new
concepts of politics and economics,
Liberals and Conservatives have
come together to make up what is
known today as the Right. The
struggle has gone over into another
f1eld-from the docrrinaire to the
economic.
The Radicals were the offspring
of the Advanced Liberals, aided by
freedom of election, held, after the
triumph Of the revolution of 1891 in
holy esteem. However, in that
struggle, Radicals and Conserva-
tives fought unitedly against the
presidential omnipotence of Balma-
ceda, a member of the Liberal party.
This is not the first time the union
of these antagonistic forces occurs.
Radicals and Conservatives, together
with the Liberals, gave battle in the
presidential election of 1881. The
candidate elected was Juan ESteban
Montero, Chile's first Radical presi-
dent and one Of her most distin-
guished men. The actual President
is the second of that political affilia-
Z GIlS SCS1B
later, in these times, the Socialists,
and from these, In turn, the Com
munists of today. The phenomena
Is known in our political history
with the name "carrera hacia la
izquierda" (race to the left).
In the Economic Field.
In the economic field Liberals and
Conservatives have generally ira
versed the same road. They are
adherents of the Liberal Manchester
school, they have heatedly defended
these doctrines against the growing
wave of state socialism. In the
evolution of ideas the Liberals have
remained absolutely loyal to the old
principles; meanwhile, the Con-
servatives, their name notWithstand-