Fascists in Brazil South America is Home of Dictators

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 17, 4 February 1937, Page 12

Fascists in Brazil South America is Home of Dictators

p yiew of the prominent; part South America took in the Pan-American Peace Conference, a brief raview pf the eadsting government regimes in thiese 10 countries and ihe varying politico-social jcpnditions of each, holds current interest (says a wiiter in the Christian Science iipnitor). A "strong man" rulea ln Azgentlna. Geaeral Agustin Justo, constitutionally eketed to ihe 1931 votings that 'Ibpiidated" ihe Uriburi miUtary revolution, has an energetic government. He ia backed by the aimed forces, conserva,Uves, business world. Boman Cathoiic Church and society. The pppoeition is made up of the Radicals, numerically the stronKest political. party, socialists and progressive democrats, who have formed an elaatic Popular Pront, from which, however, Communists are excluded. Preiidential elections will be held and a third of ihe Congxess renewed to Mey, 1937. The political barometer marks "stormy" with the promise of a stern cpnteat of Hight versus Inffc, Xf free elections occur, a Left victory i« regarded as certain, with a possibility of Marcelo Alvear assuming presidential ppwep agato, Pn the ptber hmid. tfteip are many who think the Right may follow the Peruvian example of refusing to "hand oyer," . . . Fuclst Leantog.

jM"ANUBL FRESCO, tlje goyernor of ^ Buenos Aires province, has a Pascist leaning and is opposed to a radical govprnxnent. He has ap^uifCd 60 pirplapes pnd mjlitarized lws 14,000 poljce. Majpr= |ty oitoion believes there will be' no collisipn, The BraziUan presideptial ejection should take plaee in Septerpber, 1937, four months after that to Argentina. Candidgtes bave no| yet ventured fprth and there is talk that Fresident Vprgas's period wiil be prorqgued. Will he gqgept? " Vargas learned his politics among the leftigte, but many j>f M§ friends pf those days, are nbw imprisoned as Communists. Fpnner President W^hingtog LUia flUgttr fied President Vargas as a Gommunist. The niaiority of Soqth Apierican aspirgati for power are terqaed "Communists" by the reigning government. " Presidggt 7aFgae"QV(B4fergw WaslpSg? ton Luis with ihe assistanee of the young militgry.elements. ge was dictator for two yearg and. since hjg electjgp in 1932, has remained ene. He has a majojity in bpth braRebes of congress but npt appar= ently among the proletarian ma§ses. • » f A mw pobticai party has entered ** the ayena, the Aggipp Jntepalista Brasilera, emineptly f asgis|. TJie "grgen shirts" tQrday number ippre than a mtlUOQ_200,00Q filed before President Vargu pn the patrietic anniversary to 1934— and, in arms, disetelinf and numbgrs, rank is Ihe mggt ppwerful Fageigt fprpp to America. They arg desttogd tp play

a leading role to future politics. Communism, naturally, has been driven underground. \ In Bolivla there is a military junta under Col. David Toro, and to Peru a military ministry under President Benavides. In the first country no legislative power exists; in the second it is, undoubtedly, a fiction. The Bolivian dictatorship toclines to the left; the Peruvian to the right. Thip is one pf ihe most signiflcant political qvents in recent South American history. President Benavides Js now ruling Peru against the expressed will of the people, supported by the armed forces and the traditional elements of the Eiight. In Chile there is the general class division tendency, but the conslsteney and stability of the Alessandri regime has a stabiiistog influence. President Alessandri has run four years pf his second term and has two to gq. He rules With a combination pf the Right and Center, • • f rjTHE Left ig divided on the popular front issue, the Radicals hesitattog tq accppt Oommunist supporfc. This division may mean the difierenge. between triumph and defeat in th§ congressional elections scheduled for March next. The Gpvernment.has prepared a" drastic internal security Bill to cone with the men.

ace from Red and Nazi extremists, Colombia presents another of the few examples of constitutional democracy to South America. The Government toclines leftward, but with a good sprtokJipg of Ldberala Who havg accepted the hgggSSity pf State totervpntion to solve modern economic problems. Youth is to the fore. President Lopez is but 43; Mtoister ef Interior Alberto Lleras Camargo less than 30. The Conservatives have bowed beforg the Socialist-Liberal combmation. They had previoqsly been beatep by President Herrera. Before that they had dominated Colombia for half a gentury. Ecuador-Paraguay. There are dictatorships to Ecuador and Pargguay as in Bolivia and perq. They §re bgcked up by the armed forces to all four countries. In trruguay there is President Terra, exercising power to a way and with an energy similar to that of Presidents Vargas and Justo. His actiqn is dictatorial and he has recently attaekgd |he ped.s, The putlawing of {jQmmuSism i§ prqjected. Uruguayan pqlitical life is tempestqous apd the executive power has been reinfQrced whiie the Legislature correspondingly has lost some of its attributes. Geperal Coptreras governs Venezrtela. He manoeuvres to the centre. He has matotatoed public order and chegked ex.treme leftists. So far, he has estabiished conditipps, but he has a difficult task, having succeeded a 30 years' dictatorship. It is not easy to eoncede full rights to the people to a day.