COUP D'ETAT IN PERU.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14919, 18 March 1914, Page 10

COUP D'ETAT IN PERU.

OVER IN ONE HOUR

A CONSTITUTIONAL CONFLICT.

(FROM OVR OWN" CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, February 6,

A coup d'etat, prepared by the military, was successfully carried out in Lima early on Wednesday morning. President Billinghurst was made-a prisoner; tho Premier and Minister of War, General Yarela, was killed; and Colonel Benavides. the leader of tho movement, installed himself in the Palace. This coup detat was the cli- ' max of a constitutional struggle which has long been in existence. It had been evident for several months that a revo- • lution of some sort was inevitable, owing to the strained relations between President Billinghurst and both Houses of the National Congress, in which he has never succeeded in securing a ma- ■ jority favourable to his Government.

A serious crisis was reached last July, and resulted, if not in a revolution, in an outbreak which revealed the instability of the political situation. President Billinghurst had been in vain \ trying to seouro the election of his own nominee to the Presidency of the Senate, and, persuasion having failed, ha would seem to have resorted to intimidation.

On July 24th a mob which, according to the correspondent of '"The Times." was obviously organised, attacked the house of ex-President Leguia, who, after defending himself for some time, and in vain invoking the . assistance of the authorities, was ar- ' rested, imprisoned on a charge of conspiracy against the Government, and ultimately deported on August 11th., Having failed to secure the support of Congress for ln's drastic programme of radical reforms, President Billinghurst is said frankly to have abandoned constitutional pretences, and to have thrown himself upon the support i of tho populace to such an extent that t for somo time past a situation akin to a reign of terror has existed at Lima. A month ago he promulgated by Presidential decree the Budget which Congress had failed to sanction. On July t 26th tho populace prevented the meeting of the preparatory sessions of Coiy"gross by closing the doors of the Senate. It was under such auspices that j the Ministry, which has just been overthrown by military rising under ' Colonel Benavidcs, took office on July 29th. President Billinghurst has often been accused of choosing his Ministe"!* "from the sweepings of the gutters," and of compelling them either to act as obedient tools or to forfeit' their i posts. Whatever truth there may have I been in this, the mere fact that it,was said and believed proves tho bitterness of feeling to which tho arbitrary. ac-» tions of the President, have given rise.

A DRAMATIC CHANGE.

The immediate cause of tho present coup d'etat declares "The Times," wad tho attempt of President BiJUnghurso. to crush tho opposition- of a hostile Congress by attempting Unconstitutionally to force on a general election, on tho ground that the elections to fchef existing Congress had been invalidated by illegniity. Thi9 policy, being strongly opposed in the Congress Vj tha - Liberal and Democratic Parties, th<r President would seem to have imitated the example of Charles l.\ and to have arrested a certain number .of recalcitrant members, among them Don Car-*"' los Loguia, brother of tho ex-Presi-dent. At the same time, the Press* was muzzled by the closing of the office of "La Prensa," the leading Opposition journal.

This news. was received in London. early on Wednesday morning, but dur- ' ing the afternoon the account of the short revolution came through, tbu_ revealing a dramatic change in the. situation. Tho victorious party insist on the constitutional character of this - revolution. It is not, they claim, a military pronunciamento of tho ordinary type, but the intervention of the constitutional forces by the Republic in order to prevent the violation of the Constitution by its elected bead.

PRESIDENT BILLINGHURST.

Don Billinghurst, whose resignation as President of Peru, was announced, the same day, was born in America in 1851. His paternal grandfather was an English officer, who fought in the' . struggle for Argentine independence, and was the first foreigner to receive Argentine citizenship. H:'sfather, who settled at Moquegua, «n - Peru, and married a Peruvian lady, was killed in the earthquake at Iqul-j quo in 1863. By this earthquake the! family fortunes wero ruined, and young J' Billinghurst had to carve out a career for himself. He studied law and science, became well-known as a writer, and iir 1878 entered Congress. Sefior Billinghurst, who had made a close study of tho nitrate deposits of Southern Peru, *, in vain pressed the Government to develop them on a rational plan. After ;• the loss of the nitrate provinces to Chile, Sefior Billinghurst was, however, able to use his unrivalled knowledge* of tho nitrate properties and the com-- , plicated questions connected with thei-J titles to amass a considerable fortune.'

In tho war with Chile ho took a «_"»• tingnished part, was appointed in 1880 chief of the Northern Army, and 'in this capacity organised and took part in the heroic defence of the heights of Chorrilloo. He was elected Mayor of Lima in 10-OD, and did much for thtr amelioration of the city.