THRONE OF SPAIN.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 February 1931, Page 5

THRONE OF SPAIN.

HOW IT WAS PRESERVED. KING’S DIRECTNESS DISARMS CONSERVATIVE LEADER. LIKE INCIDENT IN A BERNARD SHAW PLAY. (By Telegraph-Pres3 Assn.-Copyright.) (Receied This Day, 5.35 u.m.; LONDON, Feb. 19 The Daily Telegraph’s Madrid correspondent transmits an interesting story of how a plot to involve Alfonso in renunciation of the royal prerogative broke down. It is known that Senor Guerra (leader of the Monarchical Conservatives) took to the palace a document for the royal signature, committing His Majesty to immediate political inactivity and impotence. It is also known that Guerra had in his pocket for the King a list of nominees for Cabinet. It is known further that Guerra came from the palace saying that he never produced the list to ■ho King, owing to its inherent unsuitability. Everybody is asking why Guerra changed his mind n regard to presenting the list. The answer generally accepted is that King Alfonso fially refused to relinquish the prerogative. Guerra, foreseeing that this would involve a conflict between the Crown and the country, if stressed by him, came from the palace with the list still in his pocket, confessing his own failure at the psychological moment to produce it. The situation is not dissimilar to that in Bernard Shaw’s play, “The Apple Cart,” in which King Magnus upsets the Ministry’s apple cart by agreeing to abdicate, but announcing his intention to become a parliamentary candidate for the royal borough of Windsor. The Ministry, foreseeing that Magnus would be elected and would form ms own party, preferred him to stay on the throne.