PORTUGUESE PLOTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1227, 8 September 1911, Page 5

PORTUGUESE PLOTS.

MONARCHISTS ON THE FRONTIER. By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright Lisbon, September C. The nowspaper "Capital" states that, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in reply to a question, announced in tho Portuguese Chamber that the Monarchists concentrated on tho frontier would enter Portugal to-day. All preventive measures had been taken, declared the Minister, and the movement would bo quelled at the first shot. It would not attain the proportions of a skirmish.

SPAIN TAKES ACTION. (Rec. September 7, 9.35 p.m.) Madrid, September 7. The Government has ordered all tho Portuguese conspirators to leave Galicia.

THE MONARCHIST LEADER. A REMARKABLE MAN. The Portuguese emigres in Galicia, on the northern frontier of Portugal, were recently estimated to number in all some ton thousand, whereof perhaps -six thousand were able to bear arms, and ono thousand had been officers, soldiers, or policemen. An emissary from Dom Miguel, tho.Pretender to tho throne of Portugal, has been endeavouring to work up soma enthusiasm among them for his cause, and the agents of ex-King Manuel havo doubtless been equally active. Tho crowds of banished Monarchists, however, constituted no great dan"er to tho Republic until Captain Couceiro also orossed tho frontier. Tho captain is a man of about forty-six. During a long period of service in Africa, at first as a soldier, afterwards as a Colonial Governor, ho displayed considerable military capacity. When King Mamie] fell Coiicciro was tho only Royalist officer who seriously incommoded the Revolutionists, and but for two things he might perhaps havo suppressed the insurrection. These two things were—first, tho incapacity or treachery of his superior officers, and second, the flight of the King. Tho latter circumstanco caused Couceiro so far to forget his respect for Royalty <is to employ with regard to King Manuel language so vigorous and at the same time bo condemnatory that so far no newspaper in Portugal or elsewhere has had tho courage to print it. Since the revolution Couceiro has shown himself to be a strange and unusual mixture of the idealist and the man of action a sort of Portuguese Gordon. He is incorruptible; money and power havo evidently no attraction for him. He docs not want to restore King Manuel to his throne, but he wants to overthrow tho small Republican clique which has, ho assorts, established in Portugal a despotism worse than that of tho Braganzas. Having established a temporary military Government, Couceiro proposes to hold a plebiscite in order to ascertain exactly what kind of government it is that the Portuguese peoplo want. If they declare unmistakably for a republic ho will wo that they get a republic, not like the present one, but a republic in which the Catholics and the extreme Conservatives will be represented as well as the advanced Radicals. If they declare for Dom Miguel, tho Dictator will at once bring that' Pretender. If they want Dom Manuel, Dom Maniiot will again be King. Such are the dreams of Couceiro. As a matter of fact, howevor, a successful counter-revolution would almost inevitably- restore Dom Manuel. Ninety per cent, of tho plotters are in favour of him, and even in the train of Couceiro there are many adroit wire-pullers who would probably bring King Manuel back as soon as Oporto fell and Imvo him proclaimed by the army. Chief among these ivirp-pullers is Senhor Chagns, formerly editor of the "Cprreio da Manha," anil now known among the conspirators as chief of the civil section of the Royalist movement.