The

whole thing as an impracticable Utopia. After a brilliant defence by the Minister of the Interior, M. Indalecio Gomez, the measure, despite all opposition, passed through the Lower House to the Senate and shortly afterwards became law. The new statute established compulsory voting and the secret ballot, and provided for representation of the minority. The elector now no longer holds a civil certificate, as formerly, but a military one, which contains his signature, his photograph and his finger-prints; and the register used in the elections is compiled by the officials of the War Office. This arrangement not only acts as a great check upon impersonation, but has the advantage also of doing away with the old method of the census; the register, after being drawn up by the War Office, is revised by the federal judges, to ensure its accuracy. Any person on the list, who refuses to vote, is liable to a penalty of ten piastres or two days' imprisonment, while public servants are prohibited from taking any active part in the elections and from becoming candidates, without having previously handed in their resignations. In order to record his vote, the elector has to present himself at one of the polling booths of his parish and take his military certificate with him. officer in charge, after identifying him, hands him a special envelope and allows him to pass into the voting-room, where he finds the voting papers of each candidate. There the voter exercises his choice and places the paper in the envelope, which he then seals and slips into the box as he goes out, in the presence of the presiding official. The counting takes place in public, and the validity of the voting papers is secured by a committee composed of the President of the Court of Appeal, the President of the Municipal Council, and one of the federal judges. As formerly, Congress is the supreme tribunal for all questions concerning the validity of elections. On April 7, 1912, the election of sixty deputies-to take the place of the half about to resign-gave the people their first opportunity of testing the new law and verifying the promises of strict impartiality that had been so freely given. . . . Out of an electorate of 934,401 persons, 840,852 voted at the 4,650 polling booths, whereas formerly scarcely 25 per cent. recorded their votes. The Radical Party, which for the past twenty years had taken no active part ir. any of the elections, the Civic Union, which in the end came near following the example of the Radicals; the Socialist Party, which had struggled in vain for eight years; the National Union, which under various different names had triumphed at many successive elections, and several other parties of minor importance,-all took part in the contest. Corruption was not entirely absent, but it frequently rebounded against those who resorted to it. The voter open to bribery accepted bribes, but, owing to the secrecy of the ballot, was able to cheat the giver and drop his voting paper into the box of the party of his choice. . . . The elections, which all took place on the same day, passed off peaceably and without any exercise of official pressure. The suffrage had been made free; the President had kept his word. The results were all declared together, some few weeks later. They formed a complete vindication of the new system and indicated the real views of the people, while showing up in their true colours the fictitious triumphs of past elections. Thus in Buenos Ayres the Radicals, who had not been able to enter the Chamber for twenty years, gained eight seats in the Lower House and one in the Upper; the Socialists won two seats, and the Civic Union one; while the National Union, which had formerly

swamped every other party, kept only one, and that solely on account of the personal qualifications of the candidate. . . . The compulsory vote has finally roused the people from the state of indifference into which they had drifted. It is no longer useless for them to record their votes, no longer excusable to hold themselves aloof from the affairs of the nation. . . . The new system, if it has not completely done away with corruption, has at any rate set a great check upon it. The compulsory vote has made the electors so numerous that it is impossible now for any candidate to purchase a majority; while no bribe, as the election of April 7 clearly proved, affords sufficient guarantee for any party to try again an experiment at once so costly and so meagre in its results. But it must not be forgotten that the Argentine is a Federal Republic, which means that. in order that this great reform shall become an effective reality throughout the country, it is necessary for each province to enforce it within its own boundaries. Now the provinces are by no means so advanced or civilised as the capital They present, moreover, an obstacle that time alone can surmount; they are very sparsely populated, and the people are so scattered that compulsory voting is very difficult to enforce."-Political evolution in Argentina (Quarterly Review, Jan., 1916, pp. 43-51). 1910-1914.-Immigration LATIN AMERICA: 1910-1914. 1913-1914.-Relations MEXICO: 1913-1914.

of Italians. See

with Mexico. See

1914. A B C Conference.-The ambassadors at Washington, of the three leading South American nations, Argentina, Brazil and Chile, united in tendering their "good offices" in an attempt to settle the differences between the United States and Mexico. Dr. Naon was the representative of Argentina. See also A B C CONFERENCE; U. S. A.: 1914 (April).

1914-1918.-Argentina and the World War.Count Luxburg incident.-In spite of the indignation aroused in the country over the depredations of the German submarines, Argentina never came to an open declaration of war. Diplomatic relations were strained to the utmost, however, when the messages of Count Luxburg, the German chargé d'affaires at Buenos Aires were discovered, advising his government that if Argentine vessels were sunk they should be destroyed without a trace being left ("spurlos versenkt"). See LATIN AMERICA: 1914.

1915.-Formation of the A B C Alliance.Reasons. See LATIN AMERICA: 1912-1915.

1915.-Pan-American Conference. See U.S. A.: 1915 (August-October).

1915.-Municipal government and population of Buenos Aires. See BUENOS AIRES: 1915.

1916-1917.-Effects of the World War.-Election of Hipólito Irigoyen as president.-Dispute with Chile over the Straits of Magellan.-"The year witnessed a further development of the political and commercial life of this prosperous republic With the exception of the United States, no country in the Western Hemisphere enjoyed such happy conditions as did Argentina. During the year the statistics of the census taken in 1914 were published, and these showed that the republic contained a population of 7,885,237 persons, as compared with a population of under four millions in 1895, the year of the previous census. The proportion of foreigners dwelling in the country was, however, extraordinarily high. No fewer than 2,358,000 foreign subjects were living in Argentina in 1914, but this total had since been reduced

ARGENTINA, 1918-1920

by the European War, because many of the foreign men (amongst whom Italians were especially numerous) had returned to Europe to fight for their respective countries. The large majority of the foreign residents were males, but the Argentine population proper showed that slight excess of females which is usual in nearly all countries. During the earlier part of the year the attention of the country was fixed upon the presidential election and election of one moiety of the members of the Chamber, that is, sixty members. These elections were due in April. The Radical party was first in the field with its candidate for the Presidency, Dr. Hipólito Irigoyen being chosen. The Radicals selected Dr. Pelagio Luna as their candidate for the Vice-Presidency. The elections took place on April 2, and the polling was carried out without disturbances or rioting. The contest for the Presidency really lay between Dr. Irigoyen and Dr. de la Torre, the latter being the representative of the Democratic Progressives; but two other candidates were in the field, one of them being a Socialist. The system of election for the Argentine Presidency resembles that existing in the United States, that is, it is indirect, a college of 300 electors being chosen. The result is usually known, however, immediately after the popular election of the college, since the manner in which each member of the college will exercise his function is in practice usually known beforehand. On this occasion, however, the result remained uncertain for weeks, because nineteen electors belonged to the party of so-called Dissident Radicals, and those nineteen electors held the balance between the larger parties. It was not certain that they would vote for the candidate of the Radicals proper, Dr. Irigoyen. In the meantime, in the elections for the Chamber of Deputies, or rather, for one half of that Chamber, the Radicals had great successes, and secured thirty-five of the sixty vacant seats. The Socialists won only three seats, but it is notable that all three of these were for the city of Buenos Ayres. The voting in the College of Electors took place on June 12, and in the result a sufficient number of the Dissident Radicals voted for Dr. Irigoyen and Dr. Luna to ensure the election of those statesmen. These two candidates secured 152 votes, an absolute majority of the entire college, and were thus duly elected. The majority was made up of 145 Radicals and seven Dissident Radicals. The group of Dissident Radicals belonged to the province of Santa Fé. According to the laws of the republic the new President and the new Vice-President would not be installed in their respective offices until October 12. The outgoing President, Dr. de la Plaza, opened Congress on May 30, and delivered his last message to the legislature. He stated that although the republic had been suffering many injuries from the European War, it could face the unparalleled state of affairs with equanimity. The internal situation in Argentina was highly satisfactory, and resting on the foundation of a respect for law and for individual liberty, the commonwealth continued to develop. In foreign relations, both the Government and the nation had preserved strict neutrality in the war. The President then referred to the recent elections, and said that he had preserved strict impartiality in these contests, and had exercised no influence in the political battle. He informed Congress that of the 1,189,282 voters whose names were on the register, only 745,825 had gone to the polls. Speaking of the recent action of the Chilian Ministry in proclaiming jurisdiction over the Straits of Magellan and the Islets Canal, he said that his Government had

ARGENTINA, 1920-1921

made representations to Chile on this question, and that it was gratifying to be able to record that the Chilian Government had agreed to refer the matter to the arbitration of the King of Great Britain. The remainder of the message dealt at great length with financial and commercial matters. The republic, said the President, had been less seriously affected by the war than had been anticipated, and the excellent harvest and the high prices to be obtained for all agricultural produce had done much to counteract the adverse influence of the European conflict. On July 9 an anarchist named Juan Mandrini made an attempt to assassinate the President which was happily unsuccessful. In October the new President and Vice-President were duly installed in office. The Budget for 1917 showed an expenditure of £31,200,000 and a revenue of £31,508,000."—Annual Register, 1916, pp. 351-353.

1918-1920.-Effect of World War.-Argentina like every other civilized nation was deeply affected by the widespread economic dislocation. As a great producer of raw material, particularly foodstuffs, the country found compensation for the interruptions of the normal course of finance and trade in the greatly increased prices for its products. Moreover, the closer knitting together of the commercial relation of Argentina and the United States made up in part for the disturbances of her European trade. This was reflected in the rates of foreign exchange and the Argentina "peso" has remained at a premium not only over the pound sterling but over the American dollar. The prosperity of Argentina, however, did not prevent industrial discontent and social unrest and the year 1919 was marked by a number of serious strikes and labor conflicts. During the early part of the year the transportation facilities of the city of Buenos Aires both for foreign and domestic trade were tied up for two months. Matters became so bad that a general strike was called May 1st, and although the government intervened the strikes were not completely ended. The economic readjustment after the World War was slow and painful and the great industrial revival which the war had brought about was seriously checked. In a general way the foreign policy of the republic continued to be favorable to Germany as it had been during the war, but in her relations with the United States Argentina preserved a correct if not altogether sympathetic attitude.-See also LATIN AMERICA: 1918-1921: Effect of natural resources. 1920.-Housing problem. See HOUSING: South

America.

1920-1921.-Invited to join League of Nations. Withdrawal from the assembly at Geneva. "In the annexe to the Covenant of the League of Nations thirteen countries, which had remained neutral during the war, were formally invited to accede to the Covenant. . . . In addition to... European countries, six American Republics were invited to join, these being, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Venezuela, and Salvador. All these countries likewise joined; and the adhesion of Argentina and Chile (which together with Brazil constituted the three leading Republics of Latin America) may be regarded as only second in importance to the accession of the European neutrals."-Annual Register, 1920, pp. 151-152-Consequently, on October 8, 1920, Señor Puyerredon, Argentine foreign minister, left Buenos Aires to attend the Geneva meeting of the League of Nations. Among the first of important matters before the delegates was the question of amendments to the covenant of the League. In order to avoid serious clashes until more pressing

export duties; from the sale and lease of the public lands; from postage; and from such other taxes as the General Congress may equitably and proportionably lay upon the people; as also, from such loans and credits as may be decreed by it in times of national necessity, or for enterprises of national utility.

ART. 5. Each Province shall make a Constitution for itself, according to the republican représentative system, and the principles, declarations and guarantees of this Constitution; and which shall provide for (secure) Municipal Government, primary education and the administration of justice. Under these conditions the Federal Government shall guarantee to each Province the exercise and enjoyment of its institutions.

ART. 6. The Federal Government shall intervene in the Provinces to guarantee the republican form of Government, or to repel foreign invasion, and also, on application of their constituted authorities, should they have been deposed by sedition or by invasion from another Province, for the purpose of sustaining or re-establishing them.

ART. 7. Full faith shall be given in each Province to the public acts, and judicial proceedings of every other Province; and Congress may by general laws, prescribe the manner in which such acts and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof.

ART. 8. The citizens of each Province shall be entitled to all the rights, privileges and immunities, inherent to the citizens of all the several Provinces. The reciprocal extradition of criminals between all the Provinces, is obligatory.

ART. 9. Throughout the territory of the Nation, no other than the National Custom-Houses shall be allowed, and they shall be regulated by the tariffs sanctioned by Congress.

ART. 10. The circulation of all goods produced or manufactured in the Republic, is free within its borders, as also, that of all species of merchandise which may be dispatched by the Custom-Houses of entry.

ART. II. Such articles of native or foreign production, as well as cattle of every kind, which pass from one Province to another, shall be free from all transit-duties, and also the vehicles, vessels or animals, which transport them; and no tax, let it be what it may, can be henceforward imposed upon them on account of such transit.

ART. 12. Vessels bound from one Province to another, shall not be compelled to enter, anchor, or pay transit-duties; nor in any case can preferences be granted to one port over another, by any commercial laws or regulations.

ART. 13. New Provinces may be admitted into the Nation; but no Province shall be erected within the territory of any other Province, or Provinces, nor any Province be formed by the junction of various Provinces, without the consent of the legislatures of the Provinces concerned, as well as of Congress.

ART. 14. All the inhabitants of the Nation shall enjoy the following rights, according to the laws which regulate their exercise: viz., to labor and to practice all lawful industry; to trade and navigate; to petition the authorities; to enter, remain in, travel over and leave, Argentine territory; to publish their ideas in the public-press without previous censure; to enjoy and dispose of their property; to associate for useful purposes; to profess freely their religion; to teach and to learn.

ART. 15. In the Argentine Nation there are no slaves; the few which now exist shall be free from the date of the adoption of this Constitution, and a special law shall regulate the indemnity acknowl

edged as due by this declaration. All contracts for the purchase and sale of persons is a crime, for which those who make them, as well as the notary or functionary which authorizes them, shall be responsible, and the slaves who in any manner whatever may be introduced, shall be free from the sole fact that they tread the territory of the Republic.

ART. 16. The Argentine Nation does not admitthe prerogatives of blood nor of birth; in it, there are no personal privileges or titles of nobility. All its inhabitants are equal in presence of the law, and admissible to office without other condition than that of fitness. Equality is the basis of taxation as well as of public-posts.

ART. 17. Property is inviolable, and no inhabitant of the Nation can be deprived of it, save by virtue of a sentence based on law. The expropriation for public utility must be authorized by law and previously indemnified. Congress alone shall impose the contributions mentioned in Art. 4. No personal service shall be exacted save by virtue of law, or of a sentence founded on law. Every author or inventor is the exclusive proprietor of his work, invention or discovery, for the term which the law accords to him. The confiscation of property is henceforward and forever, stricken from the Argentine penal-code. No armed body can make requisitions, nor exact assistance of any kind.

ART. 18. No inhabitant of the Nation shall suffer punishment without a previous judgment founded on a law passed previously to the cause of judgment, nor be judged by special commissions, or withdrawn from the Judges designated by law before the opening of the cause. No one shall be obliged to testify against himself; nor be arrested, save by virtue of a written order from a competent authority. The defense at law both of the person and his rights, is inviolable. The domicil, private papers and epistolary correspondence, are inviolable; and a law shall determine in what cases, and under what imputations, a searchwarrant can proceed against and occupy them. Capital punishment for political causes, as well as every species of torture and whippings, are abolished for ever. The prisons of the Nation shall be healthy and clean, for the security, and not for the punishment, of the criminals detained in them, and every measure which under pretext of precaution may mortify them more than such security requires, shall render responsible the Judge who authorizes it.

ART. 19. Those private actions of men that in nowise offend public order and morality, or injure a third party, belong alone to God, and are beyond the authority of the magistrates. No inhabitant of the Nation shall be compelled to do what the law does not ordain, nor be deprived of anything which it does not prohibit.

ART. 20. Within the territory of the Nation, foreigners shall enjoy all the civil rights of citizens; they can exercise their industries, commerce or professions, in accordance with the laws; own, buy and sell real-estate; navigate the rivers and coasts; freely profess their religion, and testate and marry. They shall not be obliged to become citizens, nor to pay forced contributions. Two years previous residence in the Nation shall be required for naturalization, but the authorities can shorten this term in favour of him who so desires it, under the allegation and proof of services rendered to the Republic.

ART. 21. Every Argentine citizen is obliged to arm himself in defense of his country and of this Constitution, according to the laws which Con

shall ordain for the purpose, and the decrees of the National Executive. For the period of ten years from the day on which they may have obtained their citizenship, this service shall be voluntary on the part of the naturalized.

ART. 22. The people shall not deliberate nor govern save by means of their Representatives and Authorities, created by this Constitution. Every armed force or meeting of persons which shall arrogate to itself the rights of the people, and petition in their name, is guilty of sedition.

ART. 23. In the event of internal commotion or foreign attack which might place in jeopardy the practice of this Constitution, and the free action of the Authorities created by it, the Province or territory where such disturbance exists shall be declared in a state of siege, all constitutional guarantees being meantime suspended there. But during such suspension the President of the Republic cannot condemn nor apply any punishment per se. In respect to persons, his power shall be limited to arresting and removing them from one place to another in the Nation, should they not prefer to leave Argentine territory.

ART. 24. Congress shall establish the reform of existing laws in all branches, as also the trial by Jury.

ART. 25. The Federal Government shall foment European immigration; and it cannot restrict, limit, nor lay any impost upon, the entry upon Argentine territory, of such foreigners as come for the purpose of cultivating the soil, improving manufactures, and introducing and teaching the arts and sciences.

ART. 26. The navigation of the interior rivers of the Nation is free to all flags, subject only to such reglations as the National Authority may dictate.

ART. 27. The Federal Government is obliged to strengthen the bonds of peace and commerce with foreign powers, by means of treaties which shall be in conformity with the principles of public law laid down in this Constitution.

ART. 28. The principles, rights and guarantees laid down in the foregoing articles, cannot be altered by any laws intended to regulate their practice.

ART. 29. Congress cannot grant to the Executive, nor the provincial legislatures to the Governor of Provinces, any "extraordinary faculties," nor the "sum of the public power," nor "renunciations or supremacies" by which the lives, honor or fortune of the Argentines shall be at the mercy of any Government or person whatever. Acts of this nature shall be irremediably null and void, and shall subject those who frame, vote, or sign them, to the pains and penalties incurred by those who are infamous traitors to their country.

ART. 30. This Constitution can be reformed in whole or in part. The necessity for the reform shall be declared by Congress by at least a twothirds vote; but it can only be accomplished by a convention called ad hoc.

ART. 31. This Constitution, and the laws of the Nation which shall be made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made or which shall be made with Foreign Powers, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the authorities of every Province shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any Province to the contrary notwithstanding, excepting in the case of BuenosAires, in the treaties ratified after the compact of Nov. 11th, 1859.

ART. 32. The Federal Congress shall not dictate laws restricting the liberty of the press, nor establish any federal jurisdiction over it.

ART. 33. The enumeration in this Constitution of certain rights and guarantees, shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights and guarantees, not enumerated; but which spring from the principle of popular sovereignty, and the republican form of Government.

ART. 34. The Judges of the Federal courts shall not be Judges of Provincial tribunals at the same time; nor shall the federal service, civil as well as military, constitute a domicil in the Province where it may be exercised, if it be not habitually that of the employé; it being understood by this, that all Provincial public-service is optional in the Province where such employé may casually reside.

ART. 35. The names which have been successively adopted for the Nation, since the year 1810 up to the present time; viz., the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata, Argentine Republic and Argentine Confederation, shall henceforward serve without distinction, officially to designate the Government and territory of the Provinces, whilst the words Argentine Nation shall be employed in the making and sanction of the laws.

PART II-SECTION I

ART. 36. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress composed of two Chambers, one of National Deputies, and the other of Senators of the Provinces and of the capital.

CHAPTER I

ART. 37. The Chamber of Deputies shall be composed of representatives elected directly by the people of the Provinces, for which purpose each one shall be considered as a single electoral district, and by a simple plurality of votes in the ratio of one for each 20,000 inhabitants, or for a fraction not less than 10,000.

ART. 38. The deputies for the first Legislature shall be nominated in the following proportion: for the Province of Buenos-Aires, twelve; for that of Córdoba, six; for Catamarca, three; Corrientes, four; Entre-Rios, two; Jujui, two; Mendoza, three; Rioja, two; Salta, three; Santiago, four, San Juan, two; Santa-Fé, two; San Luis, two; and for that of Tucumán, three.

ART. 39. For the second Legislature a general census shall be taken, and the number of Deputies be regulated by it; thereafter, this census shall be decennial.

ART. 40. No person shall be a Deputy who shall not have attained the age of twenty-five years, have been four years in the exercise of citizenship, and be a native of the Province which elects him, or a resident of it for the two years immediately preceding.

ART. 41. For the first election, the provincial Legislatures shall regulate the method for a direct election of the National Deputies. Congress shall pass a general law for the future.

ART. 42. The Deputies shall hold their place for four years, and are re-eligible; but the House shall be renewed each biennial, by halves; for which purpose those elected to the first Legislature, as soon as the session opens, shall decide by lot who shall leave at the end of the first period.

ART, 43. In case of vacancy, the Government of the Province or of the capital, shall call an election for a new member.

ART. 44. The origination of the tax-laws and those for the recruiting of troops, belongs exclusively to the House of Deputies.

ART. 45. It has the sole right of impeaching before the Senate, the President, Vice-President,