SPANISH TURMOIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12064, 20 July 1917, Page 4

SPANISH TURMOIL.

SEPARATE PARLIAMENT AT

BARCELONA

By Telegraph—Press Assocation—Copyright.

The Times " Service,

MADRID. July 18.

Numerous arrests hare been made, including Socialists and editors. The Agrarian Club lias been closed. A largs number of Deputies belonging to tlie Republican and Reformist parties have gone to Barcelona, where a separata Parliament has been convoked. Senor Dato has hurriedly gone to Lagranja, where King Alfonso is holidaying.

SITUATION GRAVE

PROVINCES WANT HOME RULE.

Australian Mid N.Z. Cabl© Association,

LONDON. July 18

The " Dailv Chronicle's" Madrid correspondent, in a message transmitted indirectly, declares that Spain has never had a crisis so great as that menacing it at. present. Obscure official assurances that nothing alarming is occurring are contradicted by the imposing of the most rigid and most implacable censorship over known in Spam. Much of the existing uneasiness is due to the newspapers' forced silencer Fifty per cent of the population are determined that Spain shall remain outside the war, and yet ninety per cent of the citizens are suffering till the* privations of the combatant countries. The situation has been extremely delicate since .Tune 1. Tke army's fair demands for the moment have been satisfied, and the Government at last has listened'to the demands of the railway men and civil servants. These doubtless will be settled when the Government has the necessary millions in its possession. The real evil will continue if the present methods are unaltered. The desire of tho provinces of Vizcaya, Aragon and Andalusia for home rule is becoming the dominant question. Deputies from these provinces met Queen Victoria and proclaimed the necessity for autonomous government. The problem is much graver in Catalonia, where a vio. lent outbreak threatens. A collision occfurred between the Madrid Government. and the Catalonian deputies, and the first result was a, miraculous fusion of the opposing parties. A Catalonia, meeting, backed by the whole' of public opinion in the Catalonian provinces, invited all the members in Parliament to hold a- consultative sitting in Barcelona on Thursday. The Government has announced that* it is prepared to prevent such meeting even by force. Tile entire country awaits tomorrow with intense interest. Rapid developments are expected. Everj moment is full of gravity.