SWING OF THE PENDULUM.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1926, Page 9

SWING OF THE PENDULUM.

MARTIAL LAW WITHDRAWN. VOTES FOR ALL GRANTED. NEW PARLIAMENT CREATED SPANISH DICTATOR’S PLAN. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Sept. 13, 5.5 p.m. Madrid, Sept. 13. Within a week Spain has had* a gravy army revolt, martial law, and a rigorous censorship followed by the spectacle of a military dictator seeking a vote of confidence by a national plebiscite as a preliminary to creating a Parliament of a type unknown in Europe. In a country where women are not enfranchised General De Rivera has given votes to everyone over eighteen years of age. The organisation of the poll is left to the Union Patriotica, which is the Spanish equivalent to Mussolini’s “Blackshirts” in Italy. Their system is simplicity itself. Everyone is asked to record approval of De Rivera’s regime. If they disapprove they are asked to stay away. There is no provision made for anything but “yes.” votes. THE PROPOSED CONSTITUTION. AUTHOR OUTLINES PROVISIONS. . Received Sept. 13, 5.5 p.m. Paris, Sept. 12. General De Rivera, in an interview, outlined the proposed constitution of the Parliament which will be inaugurated after the plebiscite. Ho claimed that he was creating an entirely new model Legislature, the chief ideal of which will be professional competency. It consists of 300 deputies, elected triennially, including all trades and professions, also women deputies, who will be chiefly teachers. It will be essentially democratic and will wield legislative power. It will enjoy freedom of speech, although phrases judged to be dangerous to the country’s interest if they were circulated abroad will be censored from the printed reports of the proceedings.