IN PORTUGAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 205, 29 August 1936, Page 11

IN PORTUGAL.

DELICATE POSITION.

DANGER OF SPANISH WAR.

CARMORA'S RISE TO POWER.

(By CECIL W. LUSTY.)

A. fairly common idiom that I heard in Portugal was "No good winds or marriages coma from Spain." Will Portugal be drawn into the vortex of the Spanish revolution and civil war 1 The cable messages state that there is fear in Portugal of a "Red" Spain as a neighbour and apprehension concerning the possibility of a Portuguese revolution. Portugal is in a comparatively settled condition, when compared with the general European scene, and since 1926, when a dictatorship was, in effect, established, has been relatively stable. Unlike Spain, Portugal has a balanced budget —and has had since 1931 —and under its able Minister of Finance, Dr. Salazar, who, some claim, is the "brains trust of the country, has made good financial and economic progress. Like _ the Spaniard, however, the Portugese, indolent though he is, is addicted to coloured dreams and hasty action. The seeds of monarchist and revolutionary creeds have never been _ completely eradicated, and the Spanish war is fraught with danger for Portugal. Hitler, Mussolini, Ataturk and other dictators are frequently in the news, but Marshal Carmona, dictator of Portugal, is seldom heard of. He has. himself said "Portugal is a dictatorship ■without a dictator." Unlike his contemporaries, Carmona makes no sabrerattling or electrifying speeches from balconies and public places, and always of "we" and never of "I." Concealing the iron hand in the velvet glove he has, however, no scruples about ruthless action when deemed necessary. Marshal Carmona's Career. Carmona, who is 67 years of age, and a soldier by profession, seized his opportunity when, in 1926, General Gomes da Costa made his coup d'etat, and formed & direttorjv Carmona ousted - Costa -t»

maice Wmself president, and he was successively re-elected in 1928, 1933 and 1935, the last time for seven years. He is credited with having cleansed Portugal of its "Tammany Hall" corruption and "professional revolutionaries," his methods arousing in some quarteis adverse comment and condemnation. In 1933 a new constitution was adopted whereby Parliament was given the right to make laws, but not the power to overthrow Cabinet, and provision was made for a dictatorship on a corporative basis.

Military service is compulsory between the ages of 17 and 45, the total length of service being 28 years, against 18 in Spain. The total peace strength of. the army in June, 1935, was 3740 officers and 23.216 other ranks. Ihe naval personnel at December 31, 1934, comprised. 689 officers and !N.C.O. s 5670 other ranks. According to the census of 1930, 51.9 per cent" of the nation was unable to read or write. Freedom of worship is permitted and Roman Catholicism is the predominant faith.

I crossed into Portuga.l from Spain by way of. the frontier town of Badajoz, where, as reported in the cables, Loyal-, ists were slaughtered like sheep when the town fell to the rebels. Like Spain, Portugal is a home of poor peasantry, rather simple and superstitious. En route to the capital, Lisbon, now stated to- be the real headquarters of the Spanish rebellion, I saw gangs of women working on the roads, reminiscent of Russia. Australia has a tangible link as with Addis Ababa —with Portugal, in that Australian eucalyptus are found iii gardens near Lisbon. Drawn Into Whirlpool.

Lisbon, which is rcached by fermry steamers crossing the broad river Tagus, is a city where distance iends enchantment to the view. The capital itself is ruined by its narrow streets on different levels, which are reached by elevators. Its "Puerta del Sol" is Dom Pedro Square, known as "rolling pavement," on account of its black and white mosaic design, with crazy, waving lines. Compared with Madrid or Barcelona, Lisbon has fewer famous buildings, such as the famous Pradu art gallery in Madrid, but among its nearby show places are t-he Belem monastery and palace, where are the remains of Vasco da Gama, and the ruined castles and palace at Cintra, immortalised in Byron's "Childe Harold" as "earth's paradi§e." _ .

The latest news indicates that Marshal Carmona is confronted with troublesome problems. The fact that the Fascist Catholic leader, Senor Gil Robles, and the .millionaire "rebel supporter, Senor Juan March, are permitted refuge in Portugal, and that materials of war are reaching the insurgents through Portugal, may create grave trouble for the President, particularly if the Spanish Government succeeds in quelling the rebellion.

A Lisbon message states that Portugal has agreed to enforce the embargo on the supply of war materials to Spain.