PARAGUAY PATRIOTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 106, 6 May 1936, Page 13

PARAGUAY PATRIOTS.

MEMORIAL TO A TYRANT. FICKLENESS OF POPULAR FAVOUR. ASUNCION, Paraguay. Following the "liberating arinyV fierce denunciation of the Ayala Government as a tyrannical foreign-bribed band of exploiters, it seems strange to fiud the liberators now making a demi-goa of Paraguay's bygone tyrant, Solano Lopez. Memorial services have been heid in his honour and the people requested to remember his patriotism and his fight for Paraguayan independence. Solano's "reign of terror," when allegedly at the instigation of his Parisian flame, Mme. Lynch (the uncrowned queen of Paraguay), he ordered the flogging of opponents, including members of his family, and countless summary executions, seems to have been forgotten for the moment. His "heroic death" has been described by most historians as anything but heroic, and until recently visitors to Paraguay were told bloodthirsty stories of his cruelty. Nevertheless it cannot be gainsaid that to-day the people of Asuncion appear to be perfectly sincere in their response to the appeal to honour Lopez as a auper patriot. They also appear to be sincere in denying honour to General Felix Estigarribia, who until a month ago was the "hero of the Chaco war."

A more striking instance of the , fickleness of popular favour it would be hard to find. Colonel Franco, the head of the present Government, was also a chaco war hero enjoying great popularity, but not until his sensational coup d-etat did he eclipse or even compare with Estigarribia in popular estimation.

Dr. Francia, the sombre dictator of Paraguay, formerly execrated as a tyrant, has come into his share of popularity in response to the liberating army's eulogy of his good works.

Such things seem strange, but they are facts which have to bo recognised, even if they cannot be explained.