HAITI: Au Revoir, Magloire

Over heavily guarded back streets, a burly, black-skinned military officer and his family sped one evening last week to Port-au-Prince’s airport. Their baggage, a dozen or more steamer trunks of clothes, personal possessions and perhaps a few bundles of useful banknotes, was hastily loaded on a vintage Boeing 307 transport. The family climbed in, the old plane flapped off to Jamaica, and Paul Magloire was finished as the President of Haiti.

For most of his six-year term General Paul Eugene (“Bon Papa”) Magloire was a popular chief, a stabilizing force and a builder (TIME, Feb. 22, 1954). He sternly denied any ambition to be a permanent President of Haiti, but as the end of his term neared, he resolved to impose a manageable puppet in elections set for next April. But Haitians spurned what .amounted to another Magloire administration. Instead, they warmed up to Opposition Candidate Louis Dejoie, a well-to-do planter who promised a businesslike regime.

Passive Resistance. Frustrated and angry. Magloire decided a fortnight ago to take a stronger course. Seizing on a dispute over the date ending his term in office, he resigned as President—and promptly succeeded himself as Chief of Executive Power. He suspended the constitution, jailed Dejoie and 146 others.

Then began a striking demonstration of the power of the popular will. Some business and professional men formed a Front for the Defense of the Constitution. Their aim was to oust Magloire, their weapon was the general strike. With whispers and chain letters they spread the word.

By early last week Port-au-Prince’s stores, gas stations, factories and big Iron Market, source of most of the city’s food, were shut tight. In a scene reminiscent of The Emperor Jones, Magloire in full uniform paraded through town demanding that merchants open up. They either avoided their presidential visitor or refused his demands. Two days later, somewhat humbler, Magloire called in his constitutional successor, Supreme Court President Joseph Nemours Pierre-Louis, and turned over the office of chief executive.

The Army Turns. Magloire withdrew to the yellow brick Dessalines Barracks and made it clear that he would keep his army command. The strike went on another day. Then a group of army officers quietly told Magloire he must leave at once, and threatened to remove his guards. Magloire finally gave up. By the time he settled in Jamaica, grinning countrywomen were already striding down from the hills with food for the market.

Provisional President Pierre-Louis’ first act was to free Candidate Dejoie and the other political prisoners. It had been a classic Haitian coup de langue, wherein the tongue proves mightier than the sword.