Hunch

Most of Peru's loyal Army was in hiding last week on transports anchored behind San Lorenzo Island.

In Lima fiery little Provisional President Luis Sanchez Cerro thought the troops were on their way to crush the revolt at Arequipa (TIME, March 2), proud "Queen City of the South."

Only in the highest, most discreet councils of Peru's Navy was it known that the Army transports and their naval convoy were "just hanging around," perfectly willing to fight but waiting for a hunch.

Gradually the hunch grew that revolting Arequipa was the horse to back. Presently Navy officers had a talk with Col. Sanchez Cerro, told him that only a single regiment in Lima remained loyal to his regime. He resigned, moved from the presidential palace into a hotel, loudly cheered by a handful of friends. "I only wanted to save my country," he explained. "I had no political ambition."

Head of the new government, a stop-gap affair patched up in Lima until Arequipa could be heard from, was, last week, Chief Justice Ricardo Leoncio Elias of Peru's Supreme Court. So devoid of ambition is Col. Sanchez Cerro that less than a month ago he announced that "by unanimous solicitation of the people" he would be the only candidate at Peru's next presidential election.

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