REVOLUTIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 217, 13 September 1930, Page 8

REVOLUTIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA.

COMIC OPERA AND TRAGEDY.

(By J. D. LECKIE.)

The recent revolution in the Argentine was comparatively a harmless affair; it was attended. with little 'bloodshed and was all over in a few (hours. In fact it was merely a "coup d'etat." Not all the Argentine revolutions have been so 'bloodless. During the time of Rosas, who became dictator of Buenos Ayres nearly a century ago, ■the country was distracted by twenty years of civil strife, during which Rosas established a reign of terror and is said to ihave executed several thousands of persons.. Rosas was eventually overthrown, sought safety on a British warship, and retired to England, where he lived in fear of assassination till the time of his death.

The writer has a remembrance of three revolutions which he experienced in Paraguay, another State of the River Plate, under conditions somewhat resembling that of the Argentine in the time of Rosas. Although, some of these convulsions have something of a comic opera aspect, others are more serious and are attended by many episodes of cruelty and barbarism. The two revolutions engineered 'by the famous Paraguayan "caudillo," Ja-ra, partake of both aspects. "Caudillo" is the name given in South America, to a semi-military, semi-political leader, who commands a large personal following, and who is in his element during a revolution. Jara was. very popular in the army, and although at the time simply a major, he engineered a successful revolution which practically placed him in the position of a dictator. For a brief period he ruled the country with a rod of iron, punishing by flogging or imprisonment all those who displeased him. During this time he created many enemies, and a counter-revolution soon follpwed, as a result of which Jara was deposed, forcibly placed on board a eteamer and deported to Buenos Ayres: But ' there was something mysterious about Jara's overthrow. He was having a good time in Buenos Ayres, spending money freely, and it was discovered that the Paraguayan Government was sending him large remittances. The truth was soon out; the counter-revolution was a "put-up" affair, schemed by Jaz - a himself, in order to find out who were his real'friends and supporters. Many of his supposedly most ardent followers were to be found among the crowd that hooted him when Ihe embarked for Buenos Ayres. But this was a j period when revolutions in Paraguay followed one another in rapid succession. The real truth became apparent when the Government (the members of which were, in fact, merely puppets of Jara) recalled the exile on the outbreak of another revolution and gave him an important command. But Jara has lost much of his prestige and was no longer dictator. Determined to regain his former 'position, he organised another revolution on his own account, marched across the country and without opposition captured the town of Villa Rica, which he made his capital. I was in Villa Rica at the time, and eaw a good deal of Jara and his movements. For more than four months we were 'besieged by the Government troops, though the town was not bombarded, nor even assaulted, during this time. Jara was now absolute dictator in Villa Rica and a small portion of the adjoining country. Every store in town was iooted by his followers, who committed all kinds of .outrages with complete impunity. The situation had also its comical aspects. Tourists from the Argentine were stranded in the town,, and though some of them were reputed millionaires ■ they were in danger of dying from starvation. They had bank accounts in Buenos Ayres or Asuncion, but during the siege cheques, on outside places were : absolutely unnegotiable,- nor- - could - anyremittances be .received from friends,. .Personally, I did not suffer much, though two of my. horses were commandeered, without payment, of course: One of these I never saw again. The other was recovered after the revolution was over. He was in a pitiable condition and !he had acquired a bad habit during the time he had been in the power of the revolutionists. Ho now insisted on stopping in front of every disreputable house which he passed, much to the embarrassment of his rider. •

After some four month* of this inactivity Jai-a determined to make an advance on Asuncion, the capital. He had occupied his time in drilling a number of raw peasants. He also apparentlyreckoned on the eecret support of a large number of the Government officials, who, he believed, would go over to him in a body, and he assured his followers that they would enter Asuncion without any fighting. But at the town of Paraguari, about half-way from Villa Rica,' the Gov-. ernment troops had placed concealed batteries on a hill commanding the railway. When Jara and ■his troops attempted to pass 'by train they were met by a withering fire. The raw troops broke and fled at once. Jara himeelf was wounded and ultimately suceunxbed to his injuries. Left without a head, his followers eubmitted, and so ended the abortive revolution, which is typical of many others.

THE MOSQUITO CURE. 1 : Mosquito bites carrying malaria germs are recommended as a cure for paralysis of the insanej according to a London cable message. This, it seems, is < one of the triumphs of research in the Oxford Mental Hospital. The announce-, ment opens up some interesting possibilities; it may enable us to make some practical use of one of our great natural resources. Our New Zealand mosquitoes, it is true, do not carry malarial fever; nevertheless, they possess sufficient biting power, applied in mass, to make even paralytics sit up.. And there are our sandflies, in their millions in favoured localities. The two might be combined with benefit, in the mental clinics of the future. Sufferers; not merely the insane, could be treated at a minimum of expense. All that would be required would be an open-sided tent in a swampy bit of bush. The beauty of this arrangement \voqld be that day and night shifts would provide continuous treatment, without need for doctors or nurses. Prospecting foi a suitable site would of course be necessary; 24 hours' trial would be sufficient. In my own experience the bush of South Westland and the beaches of Milford Sound are the places most blessed with the two tireless bitersbut there would be no need to travel so far. Any well-damped raupo and flax flat would - probably be found of use.

It may be that it was the bee sting cure for rheumatism that set the medical research people on the mosquito remedy trial. That cure is no fiction; its efficacy is well established. One case is within my own knowledge.

A friend of mine, a schoolmaster, had a wife— his onlj wife, of coulse, despite that- "a"— -who was severely afflicted with rheumatism; she was to all intent a cripple. He heard of tlu-bee-stino-cure, and, fortunately, he had several. hives on 'his lawn. He carried his wife out to the frves placed her where she would receive the full benefit of its.treatment, and then he stirred up ,tha hives In the.language of the doctors, he exhibited those !bees to the patient. •• • •

■The result was even more successful.than, he had expected. After the invalid had received about a dozen stings she sat up, a few more and the kicked over a hive, and then she rose and ran, a thing she had not done for many a month or maybe a year. Her husband ran too, sympathetically. The treatment was a perfect cure. The •lady has not suffered from rheumatism since, and he , husband has not found it necessary—or advisable— to keep bees any more. Working by analogy there seems every prospect of success for the mos-quito-ibite clinice. , -i. T-j- q