The Washington times., 1901-09-01
AN EAsY-GoING MONARCH.
King Carlos of Portugal Devoted to
Music and Pleasure.

political movement. He is essentially
man of pleasure, not in the sense thai
conveys discredit, but in the sense thai
appeals very strongly to the Imagination
of the average athletic EngIishman. IL,
is a first-class tennis player ana an enthu
siastic yachtsman; he has something OF
the Prince of Monaco's appreciation fol
the wonders of the sea, and Is a collector
of many interesting curiosities from It's
depths. He is reputed to be one of the
best shots in Europe, equally deadly in his
aim with rifle or shotgun. and able to hit
birds in flight with a rifle bullet. He is
an artist of no mean gifts, and as 1 write
some of his most recent paintings are or
view at the Lisbon Salon. in the Square OF
the National Library. The Paris Expo
sition of last year awarded one OF his pic
lures silver medal If not an active per
former upon any musical instrument like
his father, King Luis, Dom Carlos is q
| keen judge of music and is regular pa
tron of the opera Bull lighting is an
other of the pastimes he supports, though
he does not permit the Portuguese arenas
| to witness the sickening sights that are
popular throughout Spain. The bulls have
their horns bound in leather, and neither
they nor the horses are killed in the con-
ed exhibitions of horsemanship and dex-
| terity. Every charitable institution finds
patron in the King. who. with his
Queen, the beautiful Marie Amelia,
| daughter of the late Count of Paris does
| all he can to alleviate the distress which
Is rife throughout so poor country as
| Portugal.
| Small wonder. then, that when the King
| goes among his people, al he does every
| day with little state, his greeting is as
| hearty as is consistent with respect Be
tween King and people a complete under
standing prevails. they know him for an
! easy going. good-hearted constitutional
monarch. and he knows them for we'll
satisfied citizens, who give little heed to
Republicans on the one hand or Miguelists
| en- the other. who are incapable of har-
boring the violent elements that exist and
even thrive in other Latin countries. There
are differences of opinion in Portugal Just
as in other states. there is some tobbery
and some discomfort, taxes are heavy
debts are many and resources are few,
but, outside the ranks of statesmen, few
people take an active interest in political
concerns. and when they do their inter-
est takes theoretical rather than practi-
cal form. The great masses of Portugal
breed anarchy. King Carlos is safe every
where among them; few if any Continen-
tai soyereigns can go so securely among
their subjects
Socially, then, King Carlos is a great
success; politically. or at least in home
politics, he is hardly force to be reck-
oned with. In sympathies he is directly
Liberal inclined to give his subjects all
possible liberty Of thought and action,
and quick to respond to the invitation to
identify himself with measures that make
for freedom Witness his action when the
anti-Jesuit movement broke out in Opor-
to and threatened for the moment to
spread all over the country He disre-
garded the forces that were at work in
his own palace, took the step that Hintze
Ribeiro's Ministry would have avoided
and showed in a few decisive actions the
power that underlies his easy disposition.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, according
TO the belief of the individual. he stopped
there. his natural tendency to leave things
alone prevailing over his sudden enthusi-
asm. When he ceased to give the anti
Jesuit action its momentum, the move
ment dwindled down to what It had been
in the beginning. a party development
born in Oporto. the stronghold of Portu-
guese Liberalism. Again, when the Brit
ish Protestants in Portugal appealed to
him, through a London deputation at the
time of the Queens funeral, to permit
them to make converts in Lisbon and else
where. he responded readily to their ap-
peal: but rothing has been done Sc far
as can be seen he prefers to stand out
side politics, to maintain strictly the role
of constitutional monarch. leaving to
their own departments the legislative, ex-
ecutive. and judicial functions. and MAX
ing the most sparing use of the 'moderat-
ing" authority with which he is endowed
by the Portugal constitutional charter. In
foreign politics he is equally reluctant to
show a hand. Portuguese foreign affairs
are very limited in their area
Angola and East Africa are of the first
importance-the former as the centre of
Portugars rubber and cotton trade, the
second as a possession whose political
value may be found greatly in excess
Of its commercial possibilities. The
islands scattered about the-great ocean
and flying the Portuguese flag are also
desired by countries whose needs for coal
ing stations are in excess of those of Por-
tugal The Azores. Madeira Cape Verde In
the Atlantic and Goa in the Indian Ocean
are pearls of great price when set against
the hundred and sixty-odd millions that
constitute Portugars external debt
King Carlos is too shrewd man to fail
in understanding of his country's poIiti- |
cal worth, in knowledge that Great
Britain is the best market in the world !
for the disposal of valuable assets He |
is the mainstay of the Anglo Portuguese |
understanding. and would appear in this |
instance to have abandoned the laissez- |
faire attitude that serves for all matters |
of less moment.
Portugal is passing through a critical |
period. She has great national debt. an |
country and uneducated |
people; she is raising too much wine and |
not enough corn; her ministers are at |
their wits end to deal with the situation.
In these questions the King dares not in
terfere; he does not show any sign that |
can reach the outside observer that he
takes special cognizance of them. Ten
years OF depression may have hardened
him. or the claims Of the outdoor life
that suits him so well may have left no
room for other considerations. Be this
as 1t may. the fact remains that he an
pears to disregard the problems that be-
set his ministers. and yet he maintains
his popularity.
His attitude is to be regretted, in view
OF the opportunities that lie before him
OF bringing the Portuguese policy. SO far
as 1t concerns internal industry. more
into line with the urgent needs of the
country. He is reputed to have the pow
er. II he had the WILL to bring about by
means measures that would
attract to Portugal the financial support