THE SPANISH CRISIS

Otago Witness, Issue 3783, 14 September 1926, Page 32

THE SPANISH CRISIS

RETURN TO NORMAL CONDITIONS. RE ASSURING REPORT FROM MADRID. MADRID, September 8. Order has been restored, and the declaration of a state of- war has been rescinded. General de Rivera announced that 12,000 Moroccan troops were returning from Morocco. An interview on the present regime in Spain was recently secured by a Madrid newspaper with Count Romanones, who has several times been Prime Minister of Spain. The count is the leader of the Liberal Party, which, though not numerically strong, includes men of great distinction among its leaders. Tie is also one of the richest men in Spain, and his various qualifications establish him as the undoubted leader of the constitutional opposition to the dictatorship of General Primo de Rivera. He said :

“A dictator naturally has views which conflict sharply with our tenet that the sovereignty of the people is the source of all power. To say that public opinion must not prevail is a completely extravagant statement, and one which I have never read in the pages of any author on constitutional law’. The admirable example set by England during the general strike when, in spite of the gravity of the emergency. Parliament remained in session, and all articles of the Constitu tion were respected, proves that nations must be governed not by dictatorship, but in harmony with public opinion and by virtue of universal suffrage. Nations which suffer a dictatorial regime thereby admit the weakness of their political immaturity. At the most, a dictatorship can only properly impose itself at a moment of profound crisis, but it must onTy be a transitory form of Government.” “Unfortunately,” added Count Romanones, “the position in Spain is very grave. We live under a dictatorship which expects to last for ever, and which docs not even respect the monarchy. Personally, I suffer from the dictatorship In three capacities—as a citizen, as an unshakable supporter of universal suffrage. and also as a royalist of profound convictions. I hope to see Spain return in a short time to a constitutional regime. As regards the army—of which I am a fervent friend—l hope to see it return to its proper field of action ; for nothing is so disastrous for the army as to be called upon to govern the nation. “I think it is indispensable that we should profit by the lessons taught us by the course of events since the coup d’etat of September 13, 1923. Without substantial modifications of the Constitution, a liberal regime in Spain would be impossible. Universal suffrage must be retained, but Parliament must be made to reflect more clearly than at present the economic realities of the country instead lof being purely political. Political parj ties, instead of being personal groups, I must become the organs of expression for | great national movements. The failure of the party of Patriotic Union, founded by General de Rivera, proves that no Government and no politician can in these days create a party that will live.” A warrant was issued by General Primo de Rivera for the arrest of Count Itomanones at the time when arrests were being made in connection with the recent alleged plot against King Alfonso. The count managed to escape across the French frontier in his motor car. He is one of a number of Spanish public men who have since been heavily fined without trial—the count the most heavily of all.