Baltasar Brum Rodríguez, GCTE (18 June 1883 – 31 March 1933) was a Uruguayan political figure. He was President of Uruguay from 1919 to 1923.
Background
Brum was born in the Department of Artigas near the city of Salto, where he began his education. For his higher studies he passed on to the University of Montevideo where he read law.Uruguayans of today by William Belmont Parker, P.115 A student at the Osimani y Llerena Polytechnic Institute, Brum graduated as a lawyer in 1909 and returned to Salto where he set up his law firm. He was also a member of the Economic-Administrative Board, a Professor and Minister and Diplomat. He was also an ardent defender of women's rights and inaugurated the Artigas Monument in Plaza Independencia. Baltasar Brum y las tierras para el pueblo por Leonardo Vinci Brum was a great promoter of student participation and representation in the areas of co-government, and was editor of the newspaper “Evolución,” of the Association of Students. In 1916 he was appointed chancellor of the Republic in 1916, being the promoter of what became known as the Organization of American States (OAS).Baltasar Brum por Jovenes Colorados Brum's political career started in the municipality of Salto, and José Batlle y Ordóñez had learned of him through a famous controversy held at the Larrañaga Theater with a nationalist journalist, Luis Alberto Thévenet.Baltasar, el estadista por Julio María Sanguinetti
His political convictions closely followed those of liberal President José Batlle y Ordóñez, under whom Brum served as Education Minister 1913–1915. He was Interior Minister from 1915 to 1916. Over a period of over five years he worked from the Ministries of Public Instruction, Foreign Affairs, Interior and Finance.Baltasar Brum speech During his time as a minister Brum was responsible for reforms including the extension of free education to secondary education and the setting up of a network of popular libraries. Brum also proposed a law condemning pimping, which marked, as noted by one observer, "a turning point in the treatment of this painful exploitation, which had worsened during those years, with the arrival to the country, mainly from Argentina, of dark organizations."
Brum subsequently served as Foreign Minister under the Presidency of Feliciano Viera; in the latter capacity, Brum was noted for promoting good relations with the United States, which had joined World War I against Germany in 1917.During his time as Foreign Minister Brum two visits abroad. The first was at the head of the Mission to Brazil to return the visit made by a Brazilian Minister, Dr. Lauro Muller, while the second was at the special invitation of Woodrow Wilson to the United States in the Uruguayan cruiser 'Montevideo.' Brum also negotiated, as noted by one study, "a number of treaties, including one with the United States, two with Germany, four with Paraguay, four with Belgium, one with Chile, one with Japan, one with Argentina, four with France, two with England, four with Russia, four with Sweden, four with Switzerland, four with Norway, four with Holland, four with Austria-Hungary, and one with Italy." He also arranged with Brazil an unrestricted treaty of arbitration, and also issued a decree to secure the non-belligerent position for Uruguay in case of war between countries of other continents.Uruguayans of today by William Belmont Parker, P.116-117
While serving in Foreign Affairs, Brum was (according to one observer) "a fundamental figure in the internationalist vision of a Party that, like Colorado, always looked towards the world. His Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with Juan Antonio Buero, marked a time in the course of the country, which after years of British hegemony was approaching the United States, where Wilson had left behind the "stick" diplomacy and began a time of multilateralism. In line with Batlle's proposal in 1907 in The Hague in favor of compulsory arbitration for the resolution of international conflicts, Brum developed its application in the bilateral agreements that were signed, the first with Italy and then with other countries. In the great conflagrations, it also marked an unequivocal line of democratic solidarity. Given Germany's announcement of submarine war, in the 1st. World War, Uruguay -Brum Minister- protests because "it violates indisputable rights of neutrals and offends humanity." When the US finally breaks relations with Germany, Brum himself sends a message of solidarity, saying that although he maintains his neutrality, because he does not act as a belligerent, he recognizes "the justice and nobility of the feelings that in this emergency have guided the President Wilson. A concept is coined that will later reach the 2nd. World War: we are neutral because we do not participate in hostilities, but "we are neither indifferent nor impartial." "
President of Uruguay
Notes Brum thus came to presidential office in 1919 as one with a reputation as a pro-American facilitator of U.S. interests.
During Brum's presidency, a duel took place between him and Luis Alberto de Herrera of the Blanco, or National, Party. The dislike of each other by the two men was strong enough that President Brum challenged Herrera to a duel with pistols (legal in Uruguay at the time), which was fought near Montevideo on 14 December 1922, in front of several hundred government officials. Though each man fired two shots and the other from a distance of 25 paces, neither was struck by a bullet.
Domestic policies Several reforms were realized during the course of the Brum presidency. A law of 22 October 1919 repealed a 10% tax on salaries of persons "connected with the military service, including those in the active service, those who have retired, and those on the pension list."Bulletin of the Pan American Union February 1920, p.221 An aviation pension law, which was promulgated on 29 October 1919, provided pension rights to dependents and relatives in case of death of military aviators and pilots, as well as members of the Military Aviation School, from aviation accidents while on duty.Bulletin of the Pan American Union February 1920, p. 225 With the government's approval, on 30 December 1919 the Banco de Seguros del Estado started the building of workmen's houses in Montevideo.Bulletin of the Pan American Union April 1920, p. 477 Under a 1919 law, the B.H.U. "authorized loans to build houses in industrial neighborhoods."Historia del Uruguay, Volume 2 By M. Schurmann Pacheco, María Luisa Coolighan Sanguinetti, 1985, p. 507 Also in 1919, a Public Utilities Pension Fund was established covering water, telephone, street car, telegraph, railway and gas-company workers. This provided protection against unemployment, death, disability and old age.Social Security in Latin America Pressure Groups, Stratification, and Inequality By Carmelo Mesa-Lago, 1978, 3 The Case of Uruguay Prepared by Arturo C. Porzecanski, p. 73
A school budget passed in 1920 provided for increased salaries for teachers and an increase of teaching personnel and schools. In addition, "Funds are also set aside for the aid of already existing commissions, which provide milk and clothes for needy children."Bulletin of the Pan American Union August 1921, pp. 205-206 A presidential decree of 21 April 1920 "authorized the founding of dental clinics in the military hospital and in the naval school to care for the teeth of the students and the personnel of the armed forces."Bulletin of the Pan American Union October 1920, p. 442 A decree of 14 May 1920 provided specific regulations of working conditions for maritime work.Utopia in Uruguay: Chapters in the Economic History of Uruguay by Simon Gabriel Hanson, Oxford University Press, 1938, p. 148 A law of 27 May 1920 "authorized the CNA to project a plan of economic constructions destined to 'provide cheap rooms to the most needy classes.'"El reto financier deuda externa y desarrollo en Uruguay (1903-1933) By Carlos Zubillaga, 1982, p. 103 A Decree of 18 October 1920 included messengers in the Law of eight hours.Boletín del Instituto de Reformas Sociales [Publicación Mensual] Volume 18, Issue 2 By Instituto de Reformas Sociales (Spain), 1922, p. 397 An executive decree of 18 June 1920 "orders the establishment of an economic and rural credit section for the registration of agricultural mortgages and the encouragement of agricultural loans."Bulletin of the Pan American Union October 1920, p. 529
A gynaecology clinic and polyclinic for the treatment of children was established in the military hospital.Bulletin of the Pan American Union August 1920, p. 221 In 1920, the licenses and attendance of employees of public offices dependent on the National Administration Council were regulated, under which all employees were granted an annual leave of 20 days with pay, "an excellent provision for the double point of view of rest and the rotation of officials in the same job, as a means of correcting deficiencies and tending to the improvement of the services."Anales de la universidad entrega No 136, Eduardo Acevedo, Anales históricos del uruguay tomo VI, Abarca los gobiernos de Viera, Brum, Serrato y Campisteguy, desde 1915 hasta 1930, p. 262 Another law made 24 hours of rest compulsory "after six days of labour or every six days if the system of rest in rotation were adopted." Domestic servants were also covered, "with a special act of 19 November 1920 providing for this group and chauffeurs."Utopia in Uruguay: Chapters in the Economic History of Uruguay by Simon Gabriel Hanson, Oxford University Press, 1938, p. 135 Also in 1920, the principle that the employer "who is in charge of the exploitation of industries or the performance of work of any kind, is civilly liable for all accidents that occur to his workers because of work or on the occasion of it," was incorporated into legislation. The legislator made a long list of jobs and industries in which this principle was applicable "and added that the Executive Power could expand the payroll." Domestic service was included in this reform. In the event of temporary disability, the worker would receive compensation equal to half of his salary, in the event of permanent partial disability a life annuity equal to half the reduction in salary, and in the event of absolute permanent disability a life annuity equal to two-thirds of the annual salary. In the event that the accident had caused death "the spouse would receive a life annuity of 20% of the salary and the minor children an annuity of 15% at 40% of annual salary depending on the number of children."Anales de la universidad entrega No 136, Eduardo Acevedo, Anales históricos del uruguay tomo VI, Abarca los gobiernos de Viera, Brum, Serrato y Campisteguy, desde 1915 hasta 1930, p. 233