Revolutionary Board in Pilar, Ñeembucú. After the Great War was over, in the circumstances of total ruin, new factors started to operate, some of them good for the continuity and expansion of culture and education. According to Josefina Plá two factors contributed: the return of a minority of educated Paraguayans that were abroad and that would form the leading class, and immigration, with people that came to the country and participated actively in the civic reconstruction of the country. Teaching career He was always preoccupied about the flaws in the education system. As a teacher, he dedicated himself to utilize his knowledge to apply them for teaching. He was professor of Civic Law and Morals in the Colegio Nacional de la Capital and Law School of the Asunción's National University, where he also taught Civil Law. He was also Rector of the university in 1912. Government He assumed the Presidency of Paraguay on August 15, 1916 – until June 5, 1919. He was candidate for the Liberal Party and received the position from Eduardo Scharer. The vice-president that accompanied him was José P. Montero. Paraguay acquired diplomatic prestige thanks to the designation of the people he made representatives of the country. They were: Manuel Gondra in the United States and Mexico, Fulgencio R. Moreno in Bolivia and Cecilio Báez in Europe. He traced objectives in his government, giving priority to the professional education, the land reform, the implementation of the secret vote and the fixing of the currency value. He didn't neglected the subject of education, about that he favored the educational plan of 1904 and years later the statute that ruled the teacher's payment. He paid attention to Asunción's appearance and transformed the big market into a public square. He formed a first class ministerial cabinet, selecting the most noticeable of intelligence in Paraguayan politics: Luis A. Riart, Manuel Gondra, Félix Paiva, Eligio Ayala and Ernesto Velázquez. He acted with impartiality and named Republicans too for public positions. His government stood out for its capacity and honesty. Death Manuel died of a heart attack, in office on June 5, 1919, and the Vice-president José P. Montero assumed the Presidency. The old street Del Sol (later called Espinoza and after Villarrica) of Asunción receive the name of Presidente Franco (President Franco). That's also the name of one of the most important arteries in Concepción; it goes from the port to