THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 56, 20 October 1911, Page 3

THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC.

THE MONARCHIST PLOT

The seat and homo- of 'monarchist plotting and organisation for’the invasion has been the Spanish province of Galicia, north qT 'Portugal, On the border of which the Repiuilican. army is mustering. . Hero, from an early' date, the royal emigres gathered until the standard of revolt should be raised.

The emigre's in question numbered in all some 10,000 (a recent • article in the “Manchester’ Guardian” stated), whereof.,perhaps 6000 wore lined), ‘whereof perhaps 6000 wore officers, Soldiers, or policemen. They formed little ,communities at Tuy, Vigo, Pontevedra, Orense, Santiago, do ComppsteUd, Verm, and other places, in Galicia. Shine. ofVthoni had left Portugal voluntarily owing to their implacable opposition to the Republic, hut the greater r number of them had been obliged to leave because of their tireless activity in the Royalist interest. The Republican authorities found that they were plotting, that they had gained over many of the soldiers, and that their presence in the country constituted a serious danger. \ The Monarchist plot inside Portugal was organised on much the same lines as the Republican plot, which had overthrown the Monarchy. There was the same secrecy and the same '“system of three,”’ whereby no one associate knew for certain of more than two other persons who were members of the association. Nearly all the other features of the Freemasons, the Carbonados, and ‘ the Young Turks were to be found in this ultra-Catholic organisation. The binding of the members to secrecy under oath was not, however, resorted to nor was there much likelihood of a traitor being punished with death as a traitor to the Republican cause would have been punished in September last, and as several such traitors were, as a matter of fact, punished. The Royalist plotters were, .handicapped at the qytset by their’ lack of means to instil fear among their more undisciplined followers. . The large number ,pf expelled ■ priests in the ranks of the organisation prevented it from developing any of that iron severity which, seems to he no-.-cssary in a secret society bent "on die execution 'of some ’desperate task. Besides, the Royalists made'had plot--tors. They "had ‘not 'dttt' 'iho - experience of their ■’dpponC-htS!,"’ Aged monks, poets, 'nrh^pfessidhist l'journalists, infirm noblenlcii, and beardless military students ‘ cannot bo expected to form as dangerous a revolutionary organisation as fanatical Republic's! ooliticins, uncompromising Radical officers, and hard-bitten, anti-clerical artisans. What told oven more severely against them was their lack of a suitable place wherein to plot. All the great towns in Portugal are Trongly Republican. In Lisbon the Republicans had found an admirable locus wherein to prepare the plans which succeeded so well lost October. The Royalists had no city wherein to 1) a tell their treason, and they could not hatch it in the bleak countryside. Large portions -of Northern Portugal are ' undoubtedly;' Monarchist, but it would bo obviously .impossible. to make that open conn,try the headquarters of the anti-Rcpviblican movement. The comings and goings of messengers would have somi aroused the suspicions of the authorities and led to the collapse of the' conspiracy. The Royalists had consequently to select Galicia as their base of operations, and were guided in their choice by fbe fact that Galicia is intensely Catholic and Monarchial.