The evening times., 1898-06-30
A DICTATORSHIP IMMINENT.
Capt. Gen. PolavieJa the Coming
Man In Spain.


Capt. Gen. Polavieja the Coming
Man In Spain.
Madrid, June 3O.-There IS no doubt
that we are at the present moment on the
eve of dictatorship, and that, as already
intimated in previous dispatches. 1t will
be shared by Senior Silvela and Capt.
Gen. Polavieja, who suddenly returned to
the city, his arrival here attracting con-
siderable attention, and believed to be in
response to a summons received from the
palace.
been loud in his expressions of readiness
to encourage dictatorship, and 1t Is
probably to prevent any steps in that di-
rection that Polavieja has been summon
ed, for while nobody entertains any doubt
as to the loyalty and devotion OF old
Campos, there is no doubt of the fact
that his day Is past and that he no longer
exercises the same influence and sway
as Polavieja The latter has sometimes
been nicknamed the Butcher" as he is
very stern in dealing with mutinous SOL
ders and officers, and has moreover
shown himself exceedingly relentless in
dealing with the rebels in the Philippine
Islands and in Cuba whenever he caught
outrages. On the other hand, he Is just.
and on that account respected, while the
Queen has more confidence in him than
all the other generals in the army put
together His presence here in Madrid is
likely TO contribute more to the Queen
Regent remaining ct her post than any
other member of her encourage
While Polavieja is in favor Of Spain
abandoning the Antilles. he is impressed
i.t, of nj he
pine Islands. but is firmly convinced that
this can only be achieved with the good
will of the natives. / know him WELL and
ne has frequently assured me that 1t Is
useless TO dream of holding this group
of islands save by means of native troops.
European troops, he declares, are incapa-
BILE of standing the climate. and the fig
ures which he gave in support OF this
assertion, when he conversed about the
matter, were something appalling. a regi-
ment losing an entire battalion. men and
officers within the space OF four years.
That Is why he has always been in favor
of granting a number of reforms, with
the object OF propitiating the natives
and If these reforms have not been grant
ed II has been entirely due TO the infiu-
ence exercised here by the clergy and
the monastic orders, who realize that
these reforms would be at their expense.
Gen. Polavieja. who probably knows
the Philippine Islands better than any
other Spanish commander. save his fell
low captain general Primo de Rivera,
who shares his opinions with regard TO
the necessity of conceding reforms does
not regard the cause of Spain as by any
means lost in the Philippine Islands. He
bases his belief on the fact of the RI
valry which has always existed between
the various races and tribes Of the ISL
ands.
The very fact that Aguinaldo and his
band of rebels have espoused the Amer
lean cause is sufficient TO cause other
equally large groups of natives and of
halfbreeds to temporarily abandon their
hostility to Spain and to join its flag for
the sake of fighting Aguinaldo. II is of
this informative rivalry that Polavieja
and Primo de Rivera insist that advantage
should be taken by Spain. and there is
no doubt that the Camara expedition is
really destined for the Philippines, and
that on reaching the Far Orient il will
avoid Manila and proceed to Iloilo or some
equally favorable point where the natives
are hostile TO the Aguinaldo rebels and
secure their cooperation in fighting both
the Americans and Aguinaldo.
Polavieja is of the opinion that the
to the climate will die like flies and that
the mortality among them will be appall-
ing. Ii is, in fact, because white troops
are so relatively useless except for stiff
fleming native contingents that the gov
ernment has only sent 4.G00 men 10 the
Philippines along with Admiral Camara.