REVOLUTION IN PORTUGAL

New Zealand Tablet, 13 October 1910, Page 1657

REVOLUTION IN PORTUGAL

A REPUBLIC PROCLAIMED IN LISBON . . Wednesday a cable message conveyed the startling information that a revolution had broken out in Lisbon, and that some of the army and bulk of the navy had sided with the revolutionaries. The King had left the capital, and a republic was proclaimed. King Manuel gave a banquet to the President of Brazil at the palace on Mondav, and the revolution broke out at 2 o'clock on Tuesday morning. A provisional Government was formed, with Senor Brega, a member of a most visionary revolutionary school, as President. It now appears that the King and his mother escaped on Tuesday evening after the receipt of the news that the Royalist troops had surrendered. They are at present in Gibraltar. Later advices state that Eusebio Leao, the new Civil Governor of Lisbon, speaking from a balcony of the Town Hall, said he entrusted the duty of policing to the citizens. They would respect all public, press, and private property and live with all, whoever they might be. The Republic was both generous and magnanimous. . The Daily Chronicle's correspondent, in a long despatch via Vigo, states that the revolution is confined to Lisbon, and that the mass of Lisbonites are apathetic. The correspondent says it is nonsense to describe the outbreak as a popular uprising. Most of the inhabitants hid in their houses, and many took refuge in cellars, but whan the fighting was over they armed themselves and posed as liberators of their country. Later reports show that the damages resulting from the bombardment of Lisbon are surprisingly light. Despite the blood-curdling accounts that thousands had been killed and that a whole quarter of the city had been wipe<f out, the death roll will probably not exceed 300. The Daily Mail says that the killed and wounded total 500. , Portugal is somewhat larger than Ireland, having an area of 34,254 square miles. Its population;; inclusive of the Azores and Madeira, is about five and a: half millions. The chief products of the country are corn of all kinds flax, hemp, and the vine in elevated tracts; in the lowlands' rice, oranges, olives, lemons, citrons, figs#and almonds. There are extensive forests of oak, chesthutp sea-pine, and cork, the cultivation of the olive and vine being among the chief branches of industry. Its mineral/products are important—copper, lead, tin, antimony, manganese, iron, slate, and bay-salt. Its Tbanufletutjes consist of gloves, silk, woollen, linen, and cotton fabrics, metal and earthenware goods, tobacco, cigars, etc. The exports consist to the extent of 50 per cent, of wine, which is the chief industrial product of the country, the others being cork, cattle, copper-ore, fruits, oil, sardines, and salt. For many years the national income has been considerably less than the expenditure, the deficiency being added to the national debt. The estimated revenue last year was a little over £14,000,000, and the estimated expenditure nearly half a million more. Lisbon, the capital, has a population of about 365,000, and Oporto about 170,000. There are two legislative Chambers, the Peers and the Deputies, collectively called the Cortes. The Chamber of Peers consists of 90 members nominated for life, in addition to Princes of the Blood Royal and the twelve Bishops of the Continental Sees. The second Chamber is composed of members* elected under a system of universal suffrage every four years, to the number of 120, of whom six are elected by the Portuguese colonies. The King, Dom Manuel, who will be 21 years of age on the 15th of next month, succeeded to the throne on the murder of his father, King Carlos, on February 1, 1908. A writer in America, in a communication from Lisbon under date June 30, throws some light on the present troubled state of affairs in Portugal, which (he says)- is a land that seems to be ever facing a crisis. Every day—nay, every hourseems to bring new troubles. Now "it is in # Parliament, now in the Cabinet, now it is .'party crisis; somehow we are never without dark forebodings. The Beirao Cabinet, the members of which resigned their portfolios early in the month, is the fifth that.has guided the country's policy since the tragic death of King Carlos that is, during the past 28 months. One can readily fancy the results in a land whose Government enjoys a stability averaging five months and three weeks. The Coalition Ministry, under Admiral Fereira de Amaral as chief, took hold immediately following the murder of the King! and was in power from February to November, 1908. Then came the Progressist Cabinet, under Campos, which was overturned in April, 1909. Next we had a Ministry made up of representatives of all manner of opposed factions and parties, which under the leadership of Sebastian Telles managed to eke out a weak existence of one month. Lima, his successor, on May 4, was called to form a Cabinet which endured till December of that year, when he, in turn, made place for Beirao and his Progressist Ministry, which has since, been at the rudder. Beirao managed to gather a body of able men about him, and it was commonly expected that his lease of power would be a long one. The Premier possessed the full confidence of young King Manuel, but unfortunately his policy failed to win the approval or support of the strong Opposition which met biro*

The small group of Republicans in. that Opposition developed a feverish activity, openly conspired with Beirao’s enemies in the Cortes, and through a system of reckless obstruction rendered vain all efforts to legislate for the good of the country. It is commonly believed, however, that Beirao would have finally triumphed if the scandalous story of the Sugar Monopoly on the Island of Madeira had not come to light. An English company, as is known, had secured this monopoly through a Government protection suggesting startling stories of graft. The Premier promised to appoint an investigating commission to delve deep into the iniquitous corruption charged, but his enemies in the Cortes refused to vote for his inquiry, as they claimed that the Commission would use every means to whitewash Luciano de Castro the leader of the Progressist and a personal friend of Beirao’s, who was deeply mired in the scandal. This de Castro and many of his political friends were compromised in the other affair of the Credit Bank of Portugal. This bank, known under the . title ' Compania General do Credito Portuguez,’ was an official institution. Through a system of false balances and in defect of vigilant control, the Bank Directory allowed the payment of large dividends to stockholders, which were altogether at variance with the small profits accruing from its business. When, as was naturally to be expected, the knowledge of the real condition of things came to the public, a violent uprising against the responsible parties occurred. The scandal was the topic of bitter complaint in the Cortes and in all Portugal. The people clamored for information regarding the manner in which large sums entrusted to the bank officials had disappeared. Honest investigation speedily showed that millions had gone into the pockets of the Bank Directorate. It was proved, too, that this body for some time back had been made up of ex-Ministers ana powerful politicians, who, being forced out of official place and thus deprived of political sources of easy income, had made up for their loss by ruthlessly robbing the small depositors, who had trusted their all to the bank. To put an end to further exposures of de Castro by his enemies, Beirao asked permission to adjourn the Cortes and to await the result of a new election. King Manuel refused to stand for this programme, since Parliament had not yet voted the Budget for the year 1910-1911, and thus we in- this poor land find ourselves in a desperate strait indeed. It will be difficult at this juncture, to find in Portugal a leader powerful enough to gather about him a parliamentary majority upon which he may rely in his efforts to save us from the crisis. The Republicans are Valiantly proclaiming that it will be impossible to find a way out of the evil situation. They argue that the days of the monarchy are numbered. Meantime the friends of order hope, and, as I have assurance, expect, that the young King Manuel will meet success in his efforts to restore peace to our troubled land.