The Sunday Oregonian., April 21, 1912, SECTION SIX, Page 5, Image 79

TIIE SUXDAT OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND; APRIL 21, 1912. ' 3
LVOLUTION9
A View Behind the 5cener of
Latin American Iniriuey
AAD
Washington, D. G, Firm Follows Novel Occu
pation of Launching and Breaking Revolts
Credited With Responsibility for Overthrow of
Diaz The Delicate Maze of Neutrality Laws
Is Gone Through by Them to Prsvent Com
plications for Their Clhnts.
BT WILLIAM ATHERTOX DU PLT5C
HOW to make revolutions, how to
break them, how to put a client
Into Latin-American Presidency,
how to maintain a President In one of
those stormy republics to the south,
how to get arms and. ammunition with
out violating; neutrality laws, how to
make It posalble for a citizen of one of
these countries to defy Its President
without having his property confis
cated these and a score of other such
questions present themselves regularly
to a certain unassumlna-. llent firm in
Washington which Is today a power be
hind many of the rulers of Latin-America.
' This firm is Hopkins & Hopkins, rath
er and aon. In whose modest offices are
hatched and matured half of the plans
that mean the seating and unseating
of Presidents to the south. Tl.cse of
fices on the eighth floor of the Hihbs
building in Washington are the point
from wnich Insurrection after insurrec
tion In Latin-America, every one suc
cessful, has been directed. Thomas 8.
Hopkins, the senior member of the
firm. Is the crafty authority on neu
trality and International law who di
rects the activities of the firm. Sher
borne ;. Hopkins, the son. Is the act
ive force on the outside who plays the
1-atfn-Amerlcan game among the diplo
mats and even In Latin-America itself.
This Is the firm which represented the
Maderos in the recent conflict for the
unseatln- of Dlas. This is the firm
which is now attempting to smother
another Insurrection in Mexico. This
is the firm which fought Zelaya in
Nicaragua. Davlla in Honduras, and
which has long maintained Cabrera in
Guatemala.
Canswa ef Revolatloaa.
From the fullness of the experience
of Hopkins Hopkins it Is easy to de
duct the secrets of revolution-making
and to write the prescription for sve
crss In that most speculative branch
of endeavor. In this connection may
t outlined a condition typical of that
which almost always exists in one of
the more backward republics of Latin
America before unendurable tyranny
drive its citizens to revolt. This typi
cal, hypothetical republic Is ruled by a
so-called President, whose authority la
In reality absolute and whose tenure
of office ia Indefinite unless he be over
thrown by a revolution. The Presi
dent Is surrounded by a coterie, a lit
tle inner ring, which shares in the per.
qulsttea of office and systematically
loots the government and the people
for whatever It may.
In the beginning this coterie of office-holders
has been taught the ele
ments of high finance by some foreign
er, usually British. French or German.
Previous to the appearance of this for
eigner the politicians have been merely
rmall grafters, to whom a few thou
sand dollars seemed adequate plunder.
Vnder the foreigners' tutelage, how
" ever, the locals are taught the game on
the big basts. For Instance, conces
sions are distributed freely while the
ring holds large shares and turns the
thumbscrew which would force always
more money out of those working the
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concession. After elementary lessons
In political graft like this the Inner
ring has found a way to hold the club
over any commercial enterprise of the
community known to be paying large
dividends. These money-makers are
shaken down for everything available.
In addition the inner ring goes Into the
open market and. In the name of the
government, borrows all the money
that may be secured. Little of this
money lj ever expended for any pur
pose of government. It goes Into the
pockets of the grafters. Rventually
the people grow restive, dissatisfied,
rebellious. Then conditions are right
for a revolution.
With these conditions in existence
th rule for creating an insurrection
and carrying: It to a successful end may
be so written as to make it quite gen
erally applicable.
Importance is the
The step of vital
establishment and
maintenance of friendly relations with
the Lnlted States. Our leading revolu
tion makers agree that no Insurrec
tionary movement In Latin America
can now succeed without the moral
support of this country. Realizing
this, the wisest revolutionists of late
have established it confidential agency
in Washington and have paid as much
attention to the manner In which the
diplomatic contests were fought at that
end of the line as they have to the
clashes at arms upon the scene of ac
tion. Practically all of these revo
lutionists havs placed their reliance
in the one firm whose business it Is to
carry forward such enterprises.
After establishing friendly relations
with the United States, the. next step
of importance Is so to protect leaders of
the revolution that they may not lose
their wealth, for revolutions require
much money in the financing. Taking it
that the man who Is starting a revolu
tion is rich, he must have his property
adequately protected or It "would be
Immediately seized and turned Into
the coffers of the authority which he
is seeking to overturn. This pros
pective revolutionist is advised to form
a foreign company, either American,
British, German or French, to which
all his belongings are transferred.
Thus his antagonist may not seize his
property without getting into interna
tional difficulties.
The third step in the programme re
lates to securing munitions of war and
getting them to the scene of action. In
accomplishing this purpose there is the
gauntlet of neutrality laws and inter
national laws to be run, as well as the
vigilance of the government that Is to
bo overthrown. If the revolution Is
north of Panama these munitions of
war come almost wholly from tho
United States. To maintain tho secrecy
necessary to purchase, R,hip and smug
gle into a country sufficient arms to
supply a revolution Is very difficult.
An understanding of American sources
and possible means of transportation
la indispensable. Then there is the
fighting and. if the insurrection moves
on toward success, the matter of ob
taining the necessary recognition from
other governments. This last matter
requires most delicate diplomatic
handling.
The Game In Mexico.
The most striking example of a scien
tifically conducted revolution Is that
which resulted in the overthrow of
Diaz and the election of Madero aa
President of Mexico. It is well known
that the most important battles in that
contest were battles of brains on the
American side of the Rio Grande.
In Mexico conditions were .typical. A
certain British interest had taught the
Mexican inner Ting all the secrets of
squeezing the greatest possible amount
of money out of all manner of enter
prises. This Interest, for instance,
had rebuilt a great railroad in Mexico
and had developed great oil fields in the
lower part of the republic. In con
nection with this deal it is wellknown
that one of its corporations issued to
Mexico's inner ring of officials $1,333,
000 worth of preferred stock, guaran
teed to yield 8 per cent. The books
of this corporation show tho members
of tho inner ring who receive the
blocks of this complimentary stock.
These politicians are known as Clenti
ficos, a word which means scientists,
tho name having Mfeen given them be
cause of their assertion to be the only
men in the republic who know how
to run a government scientifically. .As
a matter of fact tho cientificos waxed
always more wealthy, while the masses
grew more discontented.
It was In the midst of these 'condi
tions that Francisco I. Madero an
nounced himself as a candidate for the
Presidency in opposition to Diaz and
for. his presumption was immediately
thrown into Jail upon a trumped-up
charge. Madero, though a member
of a family of fabulous wealth, had
never held office and was not generally
known to the Mexican people. This Im
prisonment was Important in that it
got him to a certain extent before the
public. Upon receiving his freedom
Madero proceeded in a scientific way
to develop a revolution.-
How Madero Did It.
One of the first things Madero did
was to establish a diplomatic agency
In Washington. The larger moves on
his chessboard were made from the
eighth floor of the Hibbs building; in
deed to a very large extent his success
is due to the direction of these Ameri
cans. Their guiding hand reveals it
self In half a dozen different ways. The
first suggestion they made was to get
the Madero wealth beyond the reach of
Diaz. These lordly Mexican insurgents
are the possessors of a wealth so pro
digious as to be almost beyond concep
tion. So vast was It that a number of
foreign companies were organized to
blanket it. When it was all finally
covered In such a way that Diaz dared
not touch it for fear of international
troubles even if the insurrection failed,
the Maderos could safely declare them
selves. In the meantime great quantities of
(Concluded on page 7.)
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A WHIMSICAL TALE Of
LOVE AND TMll OCCULT.
BT GEORGE PEIBEU
T:IE flrst hint of the fearful truth
came to me a week ago. on the
morning after I had arrived at
this hotel. I turned out of bed and
groped toward the window, to open
the blinds and let the gold of the
morning pour In, when I ssnmbied
against a cuspidor. And my foot,
striking the porcelain, pave forth a
metalllo ring.
It startled me. but J thought no
more of it Just then. There was
dull pain In my head, and I raised
the window. thinking the morning
breeze might drive It away. They
had told me that tha fresh mountain
air and the waters of the Iron spring
would make a new man of me. Ah.
'they had little thought, doctor and
friends, what It would make of me!
I returned to my bedside, and knelt
down to reach under It for my shoes.
I always put my shoes under the bed.
my watch In on shoe and my pocket
book in the other. No burglar would
rver think of looking into a pair of
shoes for valuables. As I stooped to
reach under the bed, my eyes fell upon
the place where I had lain. There
was the depression made by my body,
but it bore no manner of resemblance
to the contour of a human body in
fact. It looked very much more like
Ihe outline of a huge door key.
I laughed, and said to myself that
It was a play of shadows, an optical
Illusion caused by the beams of the
morning sun slanting against the post
of my bed- A crazy idea! Whoever
beard of a bedpost easting a shadow
like a door key? If the water at the
springs the other day had held In so
lution anything stronger than Iron. I
should have blamed it on the four
glasses I had drunk. However, I de
termined to dismiss the matter from
my mi n J my head waa drowsily ach
ing without this new worry so I
brushed my hands over the sheets to
imooth them out. It would create gos
sip If the chambermaid saw that the
Impression left by my body In the bed
was not that of a human body at all.
tut rather resembled the outlines of
huge door key.
Since then the fearful truth has slow
ly forced Itself upon me. and. O tiod!
I have been driven to every shift and.
expedient to keep the secret from be
coming known. I have walked slowly
and tiptoed In the corridors, lest the
metallic Impact of my feet upon the
tiles should arouse suspicion. On the
warmest days I have muffled myself
to my greatcoat, to prevent spying eyes
from wondering about the shape of
my body. Despite these precautions
the clerk and the porters look after
ma as I pass, and I am sure they sus
pect something. I dare not stop to
talk to any of the other suet is, not i
even to her, for fear my awful secret
will become known.'
Ah, If they knew if she knew! The
thought appals me; I feel the perspira
tion break out upon my brow: and. as
I lift my hand to wipe it away, I feel
that my brow is Icy as Iron.
It is the fault of the mineral spring
water of that I feel certain. The four
glasses I drank soon after my arrival
must have caused all this trouble.
Though I know nothing of medicine,
nor of the mysterious inter-actions
of matter and mind and chemical
reagents. I feel dimly certain that the
particles of iron, entering my blood,
have worked this transformation. The
thought makes me faint I stagger
i clutch the newel-post, for I must not
tail. Meseems that, aa I clatter down
in the corridor, one of the bellboys
win pick me up' and tell the clerk,
"Some guest has dropped this." And
men the secret would be out.
I can understand the transmutation
or my bodily tissue into metallic mole
cules. It is similar to the process of
usiiicaiion oy which a well-known
museum freak waa produced, analo
gous to the process of petrification bv
which whole forests have been turned
into stone. But why this strange
nape? ny not retain my human
semblance? What mad prank have the
mysterious powers of mind played
with my body? I remember, before
lying down on the bed that night,
the door-key waa the last tangible ob
ject of my thoughts. I rose to see
whether I had locked the door. Then,
aa I lay down again, the key, huge
and luminous, seemed to hang over
my bed. As I fell asleep. Its bow seemed
to press coldly upon my forehead.
I dread discovery. What will become
of me? Perhaps, like the Ossified Man,
I shall become the prey of some dime
museum manager. I can see the flar
ing canvas painted with the accursed
shape; I can hear the lecturer Invite
the gaping crowd to "Come In and
see the Human Door-key! Only a
dlmei-
lt Is In rain to think Jestingly of the
matter In this strain, as I have tried
to do. I have said to myself: "Be grate
ful you are not turned into an um
brella, for then you would tremble con
tinually In dread of being stolen. Be
grateful you are not turned Into a
Venetian glass rase, for then you
would shiver in perpetual anorehenslon
of being broken. Be grateful you are
not turned Into a pump, for if you
met a friend, and he shook your hand
vigorously, a stream of clear, cold
water gushing from your mouth would
betray your secret at once."
Indeed. I am sincerely glad that It
is no worse. And grateful, too. that
she does not suspect. If she knew, she
would no longer smile at me. even her
mournful smile. What would she
say?
And what would the hotel manager
say If he knew especially If he knew
the full import of this mysterious
transformation? Only yesterday this
import dawned fully upon me. It Is
weird it is positively uncanny. I had
decided to write the doctor about my
queer sensations, especially about the
flattened feeling in my head, and I
stood before the escritoire wondering
how I should open It. By some subtle
suggestion, coming I know not whence,
I was moved to bend my aching head
forward and lean it against the door of
the desk. As I did so. my head in
stantaneously passed into the keyhole,
I wrenched about in quick alarm, and
the door sprang open.
It seems that the metallic molecules
of ray strangely shapen body are still
In a state of fluxion, and conform at
once to the bolts and tumblers of any
lock It is a gruesome thought I am
a Key that opens any door!
If tho police should learn of it! They
would apprehend me at once. It would
be thought dangerous to leave me at
large, for suppose I should avail my
self of my weird power and become
a burglar! Ho, ye money-bags, what
would your double, doors and triple
iocks avail you? lour strong-boxes
wouia open at a twist of my head.
coujd walk into Jewelry stores at night
and help myself to trays of rings and
watches. When people would leave on
their Summer vacations, I could enter
their houses and ransack the drawers
of desks and bureaus. I could pene
trate with ease to the treasure cham
bers of gold-hoarding kings, or to the
harems of uxorious sultans. I certainly
ilii
could not blame the police for placing
me under arrest if they discovered
this Btrange power to be mine. But I
do not fear them prison doors would
open to let me out as easily as any
door in this hotel would open to let
me in.
It seems that the same state of flux
ion which prevents the vietalllc mole
cules of my body from solidifying in
the form of the key, still keeps the
people I meet from guessing my dread
secret, I am hovering, as it were, be
tween two shapes like a disembodied
spirit uncertain which form to assume.
O God, 'tis well that no one knows
What would she say If she came up to
look Into my eyes, anl looked instead
through the bow of the key Into
space?
Can she suspect anything? Is she
here by some collusion with the doctor
who recommended me to come hither?
Sometimes I think so for she acts
strangely. Wo were affianced, yet she
barely notices my presence, nods to
me distantly, though pleasantly, seems
to avoid me as I avoid her. Last eve
nlng, when I followed her up the ho
tel stairs, my feet clicking clearly
upon the tiles, she walked faster until
sho fairly flew across the upper corri
dor; then I heard her turn the key In
the door of her room. Ah,
if she knew how little avails the lock
Ing of doors against me! I need only
press my head into the keyhole and
give one wrench; the most complicated
lock would fly open Instantly. What
would the Prisoner of Chlllon not have
given to possess this power? Or Ugo
llno In the Tower of Famine? Or M.
de Beaufort in Mazarln's prison? Or
Galileo in the career of the Inquisition?
Or the thousands that have been cast
helpless into the Bastilles and Chateaux
d'lf of the world? By them this lnex
pllcable transformation, this perplexing
gift, would have been welcomed as a
blessing, as a divine interposition like
In the case of Paul and Silas in the
dungeon at Phillppl. To me it comes
as a cruel curse, an affliction little
short of death. -
It were easier to Hear If I could make
the remotest use of it. But what use
could I make of it? I am qualified only
to become a traveling locksmith or a
burglar's first assistant. I should prove
a valuable helper to some midnight ma
rauder, for I could tell him that hotel
guests occasionally put their valuables
into their shoes, which they stand Just
under the bed, at the foot.
Perhaps I might turn my gift to use
In a small way even here. And by do.
Ing so I might discover whether the
people of the hotel suspect anything. I
have seen them look curiously at my
shadow as I crossed the lawn. I must
keep out of the sunlight.
Approaching the clerk, I said hur
riedly, in a casual manner:
'If I suppose you sometimes do if
you should have occasion to break open,
any door or to force the lock of a
trunk "
."Sir," said he, and looked at me in
a way that told me he divined what I
meant to say.
"If you should," I continued, trying to
feign a careless smile, "don't burst
them open until you've called me."
Then I leaned over and whispered into
his ear, "I'll open them for you."
He looked after me in a way that left
littlo doubt in my mind. He more than
suspects my secret. It will require ail
my cunning to keep it from him. If it
were not for my shadow!
Going up into my room I thought over
this, though my head ached and
throbbed. Throwing open the curtains
I looked at my shadow upon the wa.lL
If any lingering doubt had remained In
my mind as to the horrible truth, one
glance now dispelled it. The shadow of
my body, was truly the shadow of a
gigantic key. I cannot go out any
more unless I am muffled up past rec
ognition at any rate not in the day
time, nor In an unequally lighted room.
I remember the story of a certain Peter
Sctrlemlhl, who sold his shadow and
them wandered over the wide world in
despair over his loss how glad I
should be to give my shadow away be
fore it gives me away!
As I watched it upon the wall, flick
ering and fading with the motion of
the wind - stirred curtain. another
strange phenomenon arrested my at
tention. The bow of the key was
where my head should have been; the
steam of It formed my body; the bridge
represented my feet. Now and. again a
sort of undulation or tremor shook the
shadow, and I noted that the bow and
the bridge had changed places. It is
evidently: another result of the state of
fluxion in which I realize all the mole
cules of my body to be, and I suppose
It will continue until the process of
ferrif icatlon is .completed. If . I had
drunk more of the iron water, doubtless
by now I should be. Jingling on some
body's key ring.; 1 am like the Para
mecium, that elastic animalcule, which
projects limbs from its body whenever
and wherever it requires them hands
to seize food or feet to kick foes. I am
in a state of fluxion, unstable and un
dulating; I feel all through me the en
dosmosis and exosmosis of my dual ele
ments flesh and iron; this flexible,
that rigid; the one human-like, the oth
er key-shaped.
The thought Is maddening. I would
blow out my brains, but for two con
siderations. One is that a bullet fired
at my head would pass harmlessly
through the bow of the key, If the bow
happened to be head at the time; if the
bridge end chanced to be head, the bui
lt would fall flattened to the floor. The
shot would attract attention, arouse
suspicion, and suspicion is already rife.
Of course, I might go and leap into the
lake, being sure of sinking to the hot
torn, and no one would ever know what
had become of me. But there I should
lie under water, and rust, rust, rust.
The idea is unbearable, for if I cannot
help being a door-key, I at least do not
wish to be a rusty one.
Besides,' if I made an end of myself.
what would she say? She loved, me
once I believe she still loves me we
were affianced. Sometimes I think the
doctor has sent her here to watch over
me, and that she knows, for I have
caught her eyes red as if with weeping.
Does she know? I must sound her yet
I must be careful lest she sound me,
and discover that I sound like iron.
It must be done with tact. I hear
her coming up the stairs now. I will
easily cast her off the scent.
"Ah, Eleanor, you may have noticed
that that as I walk along this corridor
my footfall clicks like like metal.
"Well," she asked, and looked at me
in a startled way.
"It's Just because I have had my
shoes soled and heeled with iron. I
was afraid the dampness of the ground
here, soaking through leather- soles,
might bring on rheumatism. It's very
damp here that is also the reason you
see me always muffled up in my over
coat." "Oh," she said, and began to edge
away toward her door.
"Don't be afraid of me stay I
wouldn't harm you If I could. Of
course, the past Is past you believed
the slanders of those who would make
out that I wasn't quite right in my
head you believed them, and it's all
over between us. But I love you still."
"Do not remind me of it," she said,
shading her eyes with her hands, and
retreating more rapidly toward her
room.
"It Is true I love you still, love you
madly. If there Is anything I can do
to show, my lpve, call upon me to dq
it. Alas, it is little that lies in my
power, but if if, for instance, you
should lose the key of your jewel
casket, bring the casket to me, I'll open
it for you you understand?"
By this time she had reached the
door of her room, and stood upon the
threshold.
"Good night!" she said, in a tone al
most tearful, and shut the door in my
face. I stood in consternation for a
moment; I had not dreamed of such
an affront, after I had been at great
pains to express my devotion. I
rapped upon the door and cried:
"Open and hear what I have to say.
There was a time when you listened
gladly to what I said. Open!"
"Go away," she cried, "Go to your
room sleep compose 3'ourself that
will be best for you."
"You must listen to me, you must
open the door, or I will." I said this
with terrible emphasis, so that sho
could not help but understand my
meaning.
"If, as you say, you love me still, go
to your room," she said.
"I love you still," I repeated vehe
mently, "and love laughs at locksmiths!
Open the door, or I will. I have a
power to open doors more potent than
the shoulder of Porthos."
"Go away go to your room," she al
most screamed.
"You suspect, but you do not know
the extent of this power," I answered.
"If I were Harpagon, no treasure
would be secure from me. If I were
Paul Pry, no secret could be locked up
too tightly. If I were Don Juan, no
haughty beauty's chamber door would
bar my passion out."
"Go away," she shrieked. "I have
rung for the porter. Go away!"
"You shall hear all I have to sav."
I cried in rage. "Before he comes I'll
be at your side, and you must send
him off again."
I stooped forward and pressed mv
head against the keyhole. It passed
into the lock instantaneously, and I
knew that I need but give one twist for
the door to fly open. At that instant
the porter came rushing up, in response
to her ringing and her frantic cries,
and seized me from -behind. As I
twisted my head in the lock he tugged
tugged like a demon. I felt mv
senses leaving me strangulation, dark
ness, horror succeeded. He tugged and
wrenched I twisted and gasped. It is
over for suddenly I felt all human
senses quitting my body, and I fell to
the floor with a clang, just a common
iron door-key.
i am dead. I. Martin Farrmedon. m
dead I died at her door. The bodv
that was mine is iron and shapen like
a door-key. They have carried It into
the room where I was, and laid it upon
the, bed. When day comes they will
see that I am dead. And what Is left
of me will perhaps be hung upon a nail
above the chimneypiece.
.Copyright by. Short-Stpry. Pub, Co.),