Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-05-27

he still tried to go through with
the regularly scheduled elections
of May 6.
Rabble-Rousing Chief
According to the most reliable
observers in La Paz, every one Of
the attempts against the Uric
lagoitia regime, the last of which
took place less than three weeks
before the voters were scheduled
to go to the polls, was instigated
by the National Revolutionary
Movement, a political party COM
monty referred to as the MNR.
The titular head. as well as the
guiding brain of this organization,
is Victor Paz Estensoro, one of
the smoothest and cleverest rabble
rousers in South America, and
former righthand man Of the late
pro-Nazi Gualberto Villaroel, no.
torious dictator. who had seized
power during the latter part Of
World War II.
Villaroel had subjected the
Bolivian people to a despotiSn1 sell
dom equaled in the history Of
South American relationships,
until 1916. when an enraged pop
ulace finally dragged him from
the palace and hanged HIM to a
lamppost in the main square of
the nations capital. Following
the assassination of Villaroel, Paz
fled the country and has remained
in exile ever since, most Of the
time in Buenos Aires. Meantime,
he continued to direct an effec-
tive propaganda against whatever
government was In Office in his
homeland, and especially against
those whom he has described as
foreign exploiters Of Bolivian re-
sources" meaning probably the
''imperialist Yankees"
In Bolivia itself his friends and
followers kept up continual agi-
tation among the laborers in the
tin mines, the white-collar work.
ers and other nationalistic and
dissident groups. Their every act
not only received the moral sup
port but the active assistance Of
the Communists. AS has been
their practice in other countries.
the Bolivian Reds have Joined
hands with the extreme nation
alists in an effort to gain infiu-
ence and access to the machinery
of government.
Nominated by his friends for
the presidency in the recent cleo
lions, Paz confined himself to a
few well-phrased "all things to all
people" manifestos which were
widely circulated in Bolivia. But
among other extreme measures
advocated by his local campaign
managers, and certainly not with
out his approval, were nationali-
cation of the large tin mining
companies and laws preventing
foreigners from further exploita-
ton of the country's national re-
sources.
In the end he piled up more
votes than any of the other seven
candidates, but not enough to give
him victory. According to the
constitution, unless a candidate
receives clear majority Of all the
ballots cast, the Congress selects
the President from among the
three with the largest number of
votes. AS the score stood at the
last accounting, when the junta
took over and announced that the
May balloting had been can
celed, Paz had polled some 54.741.
and his nearest rival, Gabriel
GonSalveZ, the pro-administra-
ton candidate, 38,425. Six other
aspirants split 29,132 votes be-
tween themselves.
Although apparently the ad-
ministration would have retained
a majority in both houses of Con-
gress. the President finally real
lied that if the election had been
submitted to that body many of
its members would have climbed
on the Paz bandwagon.
Played Martyr Role
A number Of circumstances con-
tributed to the surprisingly large
number of votes cast for the exiled
politician. Psychologically, the
fact of his exile, and the failure
of the authorities to permit his
return home for the campaign
after he was duly nominated, had
much to do with the support he
received. He was able to play the
role of a martyr, a valuable po-
litical tactic in almost any coun-
try. Also his campaign managers
seem to have had large financial
support from many sources. His
enemies insist that some funds
were provided by the Communists
while others came from friends II
Argentina.
But the most important fact il
that Paz had the Overwhelming