SPANISH REPUBLIC

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 July 1933, Page 10

SPANISH REPUBLIC

SIGNS OF A REACTION. The second anniversary of the Spanish Republic, which was celebrated last month, found the people still less in the mood for rejoicing than they were a year ago, states a special cor--1 respondent of the ‘‘Morning Post.” Events during the last, twelve months have had a woeful effect, pn public opinion. There is an outward calm, but beneath the surface the country is seething with discontent. Great tides of rdistrust and hatred are flowing through the land which are only kept in check by the unjust and dictatorial “law in. defence of hte Republic.” Spain has been in the grip of a dictatorship for over a ypar. Constitutional government is still a myth in Spain. No sooner was the democratically worded Constitution approved in the Cortes over a year ago than Senor Azana, the Prime Minister, obtained parliamentary sanction to add a clause known as the “law for the defence of the Republic.” By means of this law Senor Azana can do as he likes, and to this law is duo the secret of his success, if success it can be called. Never was a Cortes more divorced from public opinion than, the present one . In a Chamber of 470 Deputies, there are 42 Catholics and one Monarchist. Its unrepresentative character was brought about by unfair methods and terrorism. Candidates of the “Right” were prevented from canvassing and addressing their constituents, and the Catholic Press was puzzled. A BLACK YEAR.

The “law in defence of the Republic.” is the logical consequence oij a sectarian Cortes which is determined that; the Conservatives of Spain bo crushed. A survey of events during the last year will enable one to sec what can lie done under this law. About 140 newspapers including Spain's greatest organs of opinion, such as “A.8.C..” “El Debate.” "Infor machines,” and “La Nacion,” have been suspended. In many cases the suspensions© have lasted for months, and no specific, charges have been brought forward. Thousands of men have been thrown into prisons all over the country, apparently for no other reason than that they were law-abiding citizens of the “Right" ami held different political ideas to those in power. ’ Following the abortive revolt of August 10, there was a wholesale round-up of Conservatives, and 140 men of the best. Spanish families were sent, without trial to Villa. Visneros, being transported under conditions comparable to those of galley slaves. There was not even any charge against the bulk of them. The August 10 revolt . was seized upon as a pretext, for the confiscation without, indemnity of the estates of all Spanish Grandees. Social agitation during the last, twelve months has resulted in about a hundred persons being killed and several hundred wounded. Some years must elapse before Spain forgets the recent, tragic .'shooting of fourteen peasants in cold blood in the village of Casas Viejas in the Province of Cadiz. The land problem has not. been settled. For months past hardly a day has passed without, the invasion of private estates in some part of Andal-

usia and the Extremadura. A state bordering on anarchy has existed in this part of Spain for some time. STIFLING INDUSTRY. The elements which have suffered most from this state of affairs are the law-abiding citizens of the country of the '“Right” and the masses of poor workers not affiliated to Syndicalism or Socialism or any other “ism,” who simply want, to work in peace as they did during the Dictatorship of the late General Primo de Rivera. Spanish prosperity has been seriously affected by all this turmoil. Banking and business are curtailed. Industry and agriculture are languishing, revenue is not coming in as it should and impoverishment are gradually overtaking the productive life of what should be a. pros; perous country. A visit to the poor districts of Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and other Spanish cities bears witness to the misery existing. The shadow of famine hangs over many people in Spain at this moment. Will the lesson be learned in time and the remedies applied before it.is too late? The following figures recently published in Spain, will give some idea of the economic state of the country, as a, result, of the new democratic regime:—

Imports. Exports. Pesetas. Pesetas. 1930 .. 2,447,000,000 2,450,000,000 1932 . . 975,000,000 742,000,0D0 Many a factory owner or employer of labour finds it impossible to be master in his own house, and cannot run his works efficiently because of the impossible conditions imposed either by Socialist, or Syndicalist agitators. It. is felt, in many quarters that if constitutional government, is not restored soon, with a respect for citizens’ rights, a reaction may set in, to follow in the footsteps of Signor Mussolini and Herr Hitler. Evidently this is feared in •official circles, especially among the Socialists. Two weeks ago a, weekly paper called ‘EI Fascio’ was to be published, but the Government intervened following upon some vio-| lent Socialist resolutions, and seized all copies of the new weekly before it. appeared on the street. Apparently "Blue Shirts" were to be worn in Spain, as several people have been fined for wearing shirts of this colour. A shop in ’Madrid was fined for having accepted tin order to make 100 blue shirts, ami the shirts wore seized by the police. This repression may lead Io a strong Nazi or fascist, movement in Spain when some kind of liberty is established. At any rate, some are quietly and secretly trying to organise a Eascist movement.

For some time the number of police, civil guards, and shock police guarding all approaches to the Cortes give it the aspect of a citadel. Never did King Alfonso have the armed guard around him as one sees guarding every move of Senor Azana. and other members of his Cabinet. I have, soon General Primo de Rivera many times strolling along the popular Recolets rubbing shoulders with the crowd on a Sunday morning.