TOWN OF REVOLUTIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1931, Page 10

TOWN OF REVOLUTIONS

DISTURBANCES IN PERU. FIVE REVOLTS IN SIX MONTHS. To have been in the centre of five revolutions in six months in Peru was the experience of Mr. S. Westwood, a passenger who passed through Auckland last week en route from Los Angeles to Sydney. Mr. Wefitivood, who is an Australian, is in the service of the International Telephone and Telegraph Company, an organisation with branches in. various parts of North and South America. He is at present on three months’ furlough and is visiting his home in Melbourne. Mr. Westwood said he had been in Peru from the beginning of 1928 until May this year. He was stationed at the capital, Lima, which was the centre of five revolutions, each of which resulted in a different Government, in six months. The trouble commenced last October, when an army radical, Sanchez Cerro, successfully urged the troops at Arequipa, the second largest town in Peru, on the Chilean border, to revolt. The President, Augusto Legia, sent troops to quell the disturbance, but after they had left "Lima an outbreak occurred in the city. After rioting, in which there were a number of fatalities, th© President wa.s given 12 hours to resign by the victorious insurgents. The rebel soldiers, who had been joined by the troops sent to put down the revolution, marched on the city, and the President boarded a battleship in the harbour, a former British vessel, on which he had been promised safety. However, a revolutionary destroyer prevented the ship from leaving, and the President, who was over 70 years of age, was captured, court-martialled and thrown into prison, where he was now believed to be dying. Attempts had been made to rescue him without avail. One reason for his failure was that he was considered too partial to British interests. “I was in the city then, and it was very dangerous for a foreigner to be seen in the streets,” continued Mr. Westwood. “While the trouble was at its height I stayed at the office for two days, as machine-guns were placed on street corners and tanks were on patrol firing indiscriminately. All the Europeans either barricaded themselves at home or sought safety in their consulates. . Intone square over 200 natives were killed. .Jealous of the army's success, the navy a short time afterwards revolted

against Cerro’a rule, taking Lima with marines. The naval Government lasted for only two weeks, when Uerro’s troops rallied and in a counter-revolution established a provisional Government. The campaign was conducted by a Captain Jimanez, who after the success of the movement superseded Cerro in popular affection and banished his former leader. In the civil Government that followed Captain Jitnanez held the position, of Minister of War. This civil Government was not popular with the military faction at Arequipa, where another leader, Saruaaiez

Ocampo, led a further revolt, a different civil Government being sot up, this.being supported by Jimanez when it appeared that Lima was again to be the centre of further warfare. This Administration pasted for six months, when Cerro returned to the country and seized power., I “Cerro is a man. of poor .educ. ion, ! practically .his only qualification 1 .ging. his military experience,” concluded Mr. Westwood. “He is really, only a ‘cholo,’ or peasant, but when the Prince of Wales was on his South American mission Cerro presented him with a decoration.”