the hispanic nations of the new world-第23节

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　office。　The　struggle　of　1897　ended　in　the　assassination　of　the　president　and　in　a　division　of　the　republic　into　two　practically　separate　areas；　one　ruled　by　the　Colorados　at　Montevideo；　the　other　by　the　Blancos。　A　renewal　of　civil　war　in　1904　seemed　altogether　preferable　to　an　indefinite　continuance　of　this　dualism　in　government；　even　at　the　risk　of　friction　with　Argentina；　which　was　charged　with　not　having　observed　strict　neutrality。　This　second　struggle　came　to　a　close　with　the　death　of　the　insurgent　leader；　but　it　cost　the　lives　of　thousands　and　did　irreparable　damage　to　the　commerce　and　industry　of　the　country。

Uruguay　then　enjoyed　a　respite　from　party　upheavals　until　1910；　when　Jose　Batlle；　the　able；　resolute；　and　radical…minded　head　of　the　Colorados；　announced　that　he　would　be　a　candidate　for　the　presidency。　As　he　had　held　the　office　before　and　had　never　ceased　to　wield　a　strong　personal　influence　over　the　administration　of　his　successor；　the　Blancos　decided　that　now　was　the　time　to　attempt　once　more　to　oust　their　opponents　from　the　control　which　they　had　monopolized　for　half　a　century。　Accusing　the　Government　of　an　unconstitutional　centralization　of　power　in　the　executive；　of　preventing　free　elections；　and　of　crippling　the　pastoral　industries　of　the　country；　they　started　a　revolt；　which　ran　a　brief　course。　Batlle　proved　himself　equal　to　the　situation　and　quickly　suppressed　the　insurrection。　Though　he　did　make　a　wide　use　of　his　authority；　the　President　refrained　from　indulging　in　political　persecution　and　allowed　the　press　all　the　liberty　it　desired　in　so　far　as　was　consistent　with　the　law。　It　was　under　his　direction　that　Uruguay　entered　upon　a　remarkable　series　of　experiments　in　the　nationalization　of　business　enterprises。　Further；　more　or　less　at　the　suggestion　of　Battle；　a　new　constitution　was　ratified　by　popular　vote　in　1917。　It　provided　for　a　division　of　the　executive　power　between　the　President　and　a　National　Council　of　Administration；　forbade　the　election　of　administrative　and　military　officials　to　the　Congress；　granted　to　that　body　a　considerable　increase　of　power；　and　enlarged　the　facilities　for　local　self…government。　In　addition；　it　established　the　principle　of　minority　representation　and　of　secrecy　of　the　ballot；　permitted　the　Congress　to　extend　the　right　of　suffrage　to　women；　and　dissolved　the　union　between　Church　and　State。　If　the　terms　of　the　new　instrument　are　faithfully　observed；　the　old　struggle　between　Blancos　and　Colorados　will　have　been　brought　definitely　to　a　close。

Paraguay　lapsed　after　1898　into　the　earlier　sins　of　Spanish　America。　Upon　a　comparatively　placid　presidential　regime　followed　a　series　of　barrack　uprisings　or　attacks　by　Congress　on　the　executive。　The　constitution　became　a　farce。　No　longer；　to　be　sure；　an　abode　of　Arcadian　seclusion　as　in　colonial　times；　or　a　sort　of　territorial　cobweb　from　the　center　of　which　a　spiderlike　Francia　hung　motionless　or　darted　upon　his　hapless　prey；　or　even　a　battle　ground　on　which　fanatical　warriors　might　fight　and　die　at　the　behest　of　a　savage　Lopez；　Paraguay　now　took　on　the　aspect　of　an　arena　in　which　petty　political　gamecocks　might　try　out　their　spurs。　Happily；　the　opposing　parties　spent　their　energies　in　high　words　and　vehement　gestures　rather　than　in　blows　and　bloodshed。　The　credit　of　the　country　sank　lower　and　lower　until　its　paper　money　stood　at　a　discount　of　several　hundred　per　cent　compared　with　gold。

European　bankers　had　begun　to　view　the　financial　future　of　Argentina　also　with　great　alarm。　In　1890　the　mad　careering　of　private　speculation　and　public　expenditure　along　the　roseate　pathway　of　limitless　credit　reached　a　veritable　〃crisis　of　progress。〃　A　frightful　panic　ensued。　Paper　money　fell　to　less　than　a　quarter　of　its　former　value　in　gold。　Many　a　firm　became　bankrupt；　and　many　a　fortune　shriveled。　As　is　usual　in　such　cases；　the　Government　had　to　shoulder　the　blame。　A　four…day　revolution　broke　out　in　Buenos　Aires；　and　the　President　became　the　scapegoat；　but　the　panic　went　on；　nevertheless；　until　gold　stood　at　nearly　five　to　one。　Most　of　the　banks　suspended　payment；　the　national　debt　underwent　a　huge　increase；　and　immigration　practically　ceased。

By　1895；　however；　the　country　had　more　or　less　resumed　its　normal　condition。　A　new　census　showed　that　the　population　had　risen　to　four　million；　about　a　sixth　of　whom　resided　in　the　capital。　The　importance　which　agriculture　had　attained　was　attested　by　the　establishment　of　a　separate　ministry　in　the　presidential　cabinet。　Industry；　too；　made　such　rapid　strides　at　this　time　that　organized　labor　began　to　take　a　hand　in　politics。　The　short…lived　〃revolution〃　of　1905；　for　example；　was　not　primarily　the　work　of　politicians　but　of　strikers　organized　into　a　workingmen's　federation。　For　three　months　civil　guarantees　were　suspended；　and　by　a　so…called　〃law　of　residence；〃　enacted　some　years　before　and　now　put　into　effect；　the　Government　was　authorized　to　expel　summarily　any　foreigner　guilty　of　fomenting　strikes　or　of　disturbing　public　order　in　any　other　fashion。

Political　agitation　soon　assumed　a　new　form。　Since　the　Autonomist…National　party　had　been　in　control　for　thirty　years　or　more；　it　seemed　to　the　Civic…Nationalists；　now　known　as　Republicans；　to　the　Autonomists　proper；　and　to　various　other　factions；　that　they　ought　to　do　something　to　break　the　hold　of　that　powerful　organization。　Accordingly　in　1906　the　President；　supported　by　a　coalition　of　these　factions；　started　what　was　termed　an　〃upward…downward　revolution〃in　other　words；　a　series　of　interventions　by　which　local　governors　and　members　of　legislatures　suspected　of　Autonomist…National　leanings　were　to　be　replaced　by　individuals　who　enjoyed　the　confidence　of　the　Administration。　Pretexts　for　such　action　were　not　hard　to　find　under　the　terms　of　the　constitution；　but　their　political　interests　suffered　so　much　in　the　effort　that　the　promoters　had　to　abandon　it。

Owing　to　persistent　obstruction　on　the　part　of　Congress；　which　took　the　form　of　a　refusal　either　to　sanction　his　appointments　or　to　approve　the　budget；　the　President　suspended　the　sessions　of　that　body　in　1908　and　decreed　a　continuance　of　the　estimates　for　the　preceding　year。　The　antagonism　between　the　chief　executive　and　the　legislature　became　so　violent　that；　if　his　opponents　had　not　been　split　up　into　factions；　civil　war　might　have　ensued　in　Argentina。

To　remedy　a　situation　made　worse　by　the　absence　usual　in　most　of　the　Hispanic　republicsof　a　secret　ballot　and　by　the　refusal　of　political　malcontents　to　take　part　in　elections；　voting　was　made　both　obligatory　and　secret　in　1911；　and　the　principle　of　minority　representation　was　introduced。　Legislation　of　this　sort　was　designed　to　check　bribery　and　intimidation　and　to　enable　the　radical…minded　to　do　their　duty　at　the　polls。　Its　effect　was　shown　five　years　later；　when　the　secret　ballot　was　used　substantially　for　the　first　time。　The　radicals　won　both　the　presidency　and　a　majority　in　the　Congress。

One　of　the　secrets　of　the　prosperity　of　Argentina；　as　of　Brazil；　in　recent　years　has　been　its　abstention　from　warlike　ventures　beyond　its　borders　and　its　endeavor　to　adjust　boundary　conflicts　by　arbitration。　Even　when　its　attitude　toward　its　huge　neighbor　had　become　embittered　in　consequence　of　a　boundary　decision　rendered　by　the　President　of　the　United　States　in　1895；　it　abated　none　of　its　enthusiasm　for　the　principle　of　a　peaceful　settlement　of　international　disputes。　Four　years　later；　in　a　treaty　with　Uruguay；　the　so…called　〃Argentine　Formula〃　appeared。　To　quote　its　language：　〃The　contracting　parties　agree　to　submit　to　arbitration　all　questions　of　any　nature　which　may　arise　between　them；　provided　they　do　not　affect　provisions　of　the　constitution　of　either　state；　and　cannot　be　adjusted　by　direct　negotiation。〃　This　Formula　was　soon　put　to　the　test　in　a　serious　dispute　with　Chile。

In　the　Treaty　of　1881；　in　partitioning　Patagonia；　the　crest　of　the　Andes　had　been　assumed　to　be　the　true　continental　watershed　between　the　Atlantic　and　the　Pacific　and　hence　was　made　the　boundary　line　between　Argentina　and　Chile。　The　entire　Atlantic　coast　was　to　belong　to　Argentina；　the　Pacific　coast　to　Chile；　the　island　of　Tierra　del　Fuego　was　to　be　divided　between　them。　At　the　same　time　the　Strait　of　Magellan　was　declared　a　neutral　waterway；　open　to　the　ships　of　all　nations。　Ere　long；　however；　it　was　ascertained　that　the　crest　of　the　Andes　did　not　actually　coincide　with　the　continental　divide。　Thereupon　Argentina　insisted　that　the　boundary　line　should　be　made　to　run　along　the　crest；　while　Chile　demanded　that　it　be　traced　along　the　watershed。　Since　the　mountainous　area　concerned　was　of　little　value；　the　question　at　bottom　was　simply　one　of　power　and　prestige　between　rival　states。

As　the　dispute　waxed　warmer；　a　noisy　press　and　populace　clamored　for　war。　The　Governments　of　the　two　nations　spent　large　sums　in　increasing　their　armaments；　and　Argentina；　in　imitation　of　its　western　neighbor；　made　military　service　compulsory。　But；　as　the　conviction　gradually　spread　that　a　struggle　would　leave　the　victor　as　prostrate　as　the　vanquished；　wiser　counsels　prevailed。　In　1899；　accordingly；　the　matter　was　referred　to　the　King　of　Great　Britain　for　decision。　Though　the　award　was　a　compromise；