Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, THURSDAY, NOV. 23, 1933. ELECTIONS IN SPAIN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18253, 23 November 1933, Page 6

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, THURSDAY, NOV. 23, 1933. ELECTIONS IN SPAIN

The one fact which emerges most clearly from the confused election in Spain is that the drastic constitutional reforms that have been attempted in the past two and a half years have still further divided (lie nation, in-

stead of unifying it, and it may yet bo found that the ultimate result of the experiment will be a return to monarchical government. Spain stands to-day as an example of the futility of revolution and a warning to political reformers of the inevitable failure of any attempt to change the existing social order overnight. Until April, 193.1, Spain was a monarchy, but for some time previously there had been growing opposition to the existing regime, which had functioned largely as a dictatorship under General Do Rivera. When the full force of the anti-monarchical feeling was revealed at the municipal election, King Alfonso, deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, left the country and a republic was proclaimed, a provisional government being drawn from the Republican and Socialist parties. Under wise leadership all might have been well, but the extremists who assumed office failed to appreciate the real sentiment of the electorate, and their rule proved so disastrous (hat, I lie people have turned against them at the first opportunity. The revolution at the outset had the support of a very large proportion of the middle class, not so much because they favored either a republic or socialism, but because they wished to register a protest against the dominance of the Crown, the aristocracy, the army, and the clergy. The highlyorganised .Socialists took full advantage of this wave of revolutionary enthusiasm and set out to make radical changes in Spanish society. In their eagerness they over-stepped the mark, persecuting both the aristocrats and the leaders of religion, and succeeding only in creating as much

antagonism to the new leaders as

there had been previously to the old. The middle class which became Liberal under the monarchy was rapidly converted to Conservatism under the re- ■ public, and was as anxious to overthrow the Socialists as it, hud been to depose the monarchy. The experience Is not peculiar to Spain, but rather typical of most countries where attempts have been made to crowd into a period of a few years reforms which, to have any hope of success, should be spread over decades at the least. Only a few years ago, Great Britain, politically discontented, decided to give a Socialist Government an opportunity of prove its claims to leadership, but after one short experience the pendulum swung in the opposite direction. Still nearer home, in New South Wales, Mr. Lang and his followers were returned to office on a wave of socialistic fervor, but once the public had had a demonstration of what was involved in such a change it took the first opportunity of rectifying its mistake. European countries have attempted similar experiments, and nearly all have failed. There are

exceptions, it is true, but in these cases it will be found that, the, leaders had the wisdom to make haste slowly —not to attempt to make drastic changes in one fell swoop. The explanation of the position in which Spain and other countries have found themselves is this: The existing order has been gradually evolved over generations and adapted to suit changing times and changing conditions, whatever alterations were decided upon keeping pace with public opinion and never being far in advance of it. At all times there have been idealists who have advocated extreme methods, but they have seldom secured sufficient support to place them in power, and where they have it has been necessary for them to curb their natural aspirations or else suffer defeat. In other words, the great mass of the public, while it may frequently desire a change of leadership, is most reluctant to undergo any change in the conditions to which it has become accustomed. That is exactly the position that obtains in Spain; the people voted for new leaders, but promptly resented an attempt to create a new social order. The Socialists were not content to proceed slowly and cautiously, but sought immediately to transform their doctrines into practice, and in doing so made innumerable mistakes. The middle class had no desire to see the former leaders, the clergy, and the aristocrats persecuted and robbed; they desired only to bo freed from their domination. They found, too, that, the Socialists were even greater adepts than Hie Monarchists at, awarding spoils to the victors, and this, also, was resented by a people who had been led to leli'eve that, the new regime stood for cleaner polities. Almost, from the commencement of the republic, the country has been in a state of industrial unrest and violence has been Irequont, largely because a Government, that was elected by the moderateminded middle-class had to succumb to the dictation of its more extreme and better organised followers. In little more than two years ot; Socialist control there were three changes in the Ministry in efforts to seek some solution of tho impasse that had been reached, and. <linjnUy conditions became so impossible that it was decided to appeal to the electors. The full result of the elections will not be known until next month, but the preliminary returns give a conclusive indication of the change in public opinion. Several of the former Ministers have been defeated, and their places have been taken by the very men who were so heartily rejected only two and a half years ago.. This, of course, does not necessarily mean that, the old regime will return, but the inference to be drawn at this juncture is that while the people ol Spain desired the termination of the monarchy they prefer that the newlyformed republic should be administered, not by the extremists who were used only as a means to an end, but by the more moderate and conservative politicians who have controlled the destinies of the country in the past.