PORTUGUESE REVOLT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1252, 7 October 1911, Page 5

PORTUGUESE REVOLT.

ROYALISTS MARCHING ON OPORTO.

OPORTO TO BE ROYALIST CAPITAL.

By Toleffraph—Pr«S3 Association— GoDyrignt Madrid, October 5.

Tho newspapers report that Princo Frauds Joseph of Brnganza, second son of Dom'Miguel, Portuguese Pretender, and Captain Couceiro, tho Revolutionary leader, with JOOO men, are marching on Oporto, where they intend to establish a monarchical capital. The towns en route welcomed the.Royalists, who encountered a feeble resistance from tho garrison at Chavez, 35 miles west by south of Braganza, EX-KING MANUEL DENIES COMPLICITY. (Eec. October 7, 0.5 a.m.) \ London, October 6. Ex-King Manuel denies that he returned to London in connection with the events in Portugal. Ho says he knows nothing of the situation beyond what is published in tho newspapers. REPUBLICANS V. ROYALISTS. CAPTAIN COUCEIRO'S AIMS. : ■ Captain Couceiro, the leader of tho Portugueso Rovalists, does not want to restore King Manuel to his throne, but he wants to overthrow the small Republican clique which has, ho asserts, established in Portugal a despotism worse than that of the Braganzas. Having established _ a temporary military Government, C'ouceira proposes to hold a plebiscite in order to ascertain exactly what kind of government it is that tho Portuguese peoplo want. If they declare unmistakably for a Republic he will seo that they get a Republic, not liko 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, the Dictator will,at once bring that Pretender If they want Dom Manuel, Dom Manuel will again be King. Perhaps about a fourth of the entire Portuguese army (says a writer in the London "Morning Post") is Royalist. Another fourth is intensely Republican. Tho remaining half has no.strong convictions either way. It will join the Royalists if they carry all before them at the outset, but it will help to crush them if they are badly beaten. 'As to the people, it is difficult to say anything with certainty. The Monarchists say that about 80 per cent, of the population will join thom as soon as they cross the frontier. The Republicans try to porsunde one that there are not one thousand Royalists in the whole country. It may bo safely said that both sides are wrong. Almost all tho peasantry in the north are Royalist, but they have got no arras, and are not likely to get any. I know, continues tho "Morning Post" writer, that until the end of May last a considerable proportion of tho troops in the north were shaky in their allegiance to the Republic, but, despite aU the exhortations of Captain Coucciro, they refused to move unless a Royalist force, and a strong Royalist force, crossed tho frontier. In other words, it was found impossible to start the counter-revolution on Portuguese soil. Where all a garrison was Royalist all the.officers were Republican, or the garrison occupied a remote position of small strategical importance from tho invaders' point. of view. Suspected officers were being continually shifted about. Many tit them were discharged or placed on the retired list. Suspected troops were disbanded or sent to thoroughly Republican districts, or placed helpless between Republican detachmonts, or supplied with blank cartridge. In the beginning of Juno a sweeping change wns made in tho .disposition.of the army. This was tho ■first'.'blow'.''.to the' Royalists. It upset anittgeiiio'us plan of theirs by which certain disaffected regiments near the frontier wore to join an armed force of emigrants from Spain. The second blow was the filling of the northern provinces with troops on which the Republic could depend. Tho thoroughly Republican bluejackets were sent from Lisbon to Minho, near Chavos. Even the military students from the capital and from Oporto were armed and sent north. On these two elements the Republicans could depend. The bluejackets knew that there would be no mercy for them if the Monarchy came back. Tho young military students were prepared to fight with all the reckless.ness of youth. Meanwhile, the Royalists in the Republican camp, were scattered, suspected, and unable to correspond.