Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-01

wide gap between the very rich and
the very poor.
. Panama I'll points, - Jose AM
tonic Remon quit making others
President in 1852 and got the job
for himself. While Remon's tight
control OF the police force casts
a threatening shadow over the con-
duct of free elections and political
parties, there is much in this little
Canal Zone country that would
make Thomas Jefferson happy.
. Honduras g points, Juan Man
uel Galvez was elected by the gov
ernment-sponsored National Party
at rugged elections in 1948. The
shadow Of ex-Dictator Tiburcio An
dino still hangs over this banana
republic, but Galvez has been push
ing democratic reforms.
. Haiti &c points, - The Negroes
and mulattos turned out the white
French rulers in 1904, then the
Negroes overthrow mulatto oligarchy
In 1916. Col. Paul e. Magloire seized,
power in 1850 and ave months later
became Haiti's first directly elected
President, ~ M f9
Democracy is along way OF In
this impoverished nation where 80
per cent Of the people are illiterate
and political parties are unknown.
. Argentina t61a points, Contrary
to popular opinion, Argentina is
not as totalitarian as several other
Latin American countries. Sever
eighty here rests in the mobs that
are ORGANIZED around government
controlled labor unions-not the
military.
PRESIDENT Juan Peron was elected
IN what was conceded to be a free
election in 1916 The majority will
OF the people is probably expressed
IN the legislature. but with complete
disregard for minority rights. Wide-
spread social and economic benefits
are fed the servile masses, but prop
erty rights Of Independent citizens
are frequently violated.
Peru Is points, - This is one Of
several military relationships where
democracy is under siege. Manuel
Odria. with army support. turned
out the freely elected government of
Jose Luis Bustamante in 1948 and
later made himself President. He
has developed one Of the worlds few
remaining free enterprise economies
and has greatly expanded social Sc
curity. But he gives no indication
OF restoring the nations lost de-
mocracy.
. Cuba Is points)-Gen. Fulgencia
Batista, who has haunted democracy
In Cuba for many years, came back
In 1852 and ousted the democratic
but corrupt regime Of Carlos Prio
Scorras. If Batista permits the OPP
position to campaign freely and con-
ducts scheduled election this year
honestly, democracy may get back
on the road in this one-crop sugar
country.
. Venezuela Is points)--A military
junta ousted a democratic govern
ment in this oil country in 1913 and
later made Col. Marcos Perez Jime-
nez President. Perez Jimenez
gambled on the luxury Of free
election in 1852 but blacked-out the
vote-counting when the opposition
was discovered to be far out in front.
. Colombia a points - The tram
gull development Of democracy was
violently swept aside in the civil
war that broke out between the
Conservatives and Liberals in 1913.
The Conservatives. with majority
Of bullets but not ballots, rugged the
1949 election for President Laureano
Gomez. His bloody dictatorship was
halted by the army in 1858 and
Gen. GuStavo Rojas Pmilla became
President.
Rojas hasn't kept his promise to
hold free election and permit
free press. nor has he shared any
power with the Liberal majority.
. Paraguay a points, army
changed governments in its tradi-
tional manner last May. It ouSted
President Federico Chaves and ar
ranged for Gen. Alfredo Stroessner's
election" this week. The army's
political front. the Colorado Party,
will make the arrangements for the
"one-man" race. Democracy isn't
in sight here.
. Nicaragua 6 points, Whatever
political. civil, social or economic
rights Nicaraguans enjoy are at the
pleasure Of Dictator AnaStachio
Somoza. He uses q servile, co-op-
erative opposition party as smoke
screen for q dictatorship citizens
have learned not to question.
. Dominican Republic q points,
Dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo.
called the ''satior" by hts friends
and the worst dictator since Nero
BY his enemies, doesn't bother with