Evening star., 1903-11-14
KING ALFONSO XIII
Life and Habits of the Ruler
Of Spain.
ARE VERY METHODICAL
EVERYTHING REGULATED BY
RULES OF ETIQUETTE.
Many Events Are Concealed From Him
and His Education Distorted for
Political Reasons.
ARE VERY METHODICAL
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
MADRID. November 5. 1903.
The life and habits of Alfonso XIII are
very methodical. and the more I see and
hear of him the more I am convinced of
what told you the other day, that 1t is no
fun to be a king. especially for a young
man. Everything he does Is regulated by
rules of etiquette. traditions of generations.
national prejudice. and the effect 1t may
have upon the politics of the country. He
cannot move without an escort, he cannot
leave the palace except he goes in state.
accompanied by general or an aid-de-
camp. and usually wherever he appears he
is saluted by the roar of cannon. Some
months ago he tried to break away from the
customs that tie him down. but it was a
failure. He has read a good deal about the
German emperor and would like to take him
as an example for imitation If he could do
SO. With that idea in his mind he rose very
early one morning. put on his uniform as an
honorary colonel Of a certain famous regt-
ment of guards and appeared at the bar
racks before any one was up. The sentf-
mel gave warning; the few officers who
were there pulled on their trousers and
wrapped themselves in their overcOats as
rapidly as possible. but the older officers
who should have been on hand to receive the
king were at their own homes or anywhere
else. This little episode created a great
sensation. Nothing of the kind had ever
happened in Spain before. 1t is not coun-
try of innovations or surprises, and the
young king was called down. The govern
ment and the army do not propose to have
him initiating any of the tricks OF the
kaiser: the minister of war brought the
matter up in the cabinet. and the prime
minister had to go to the palace with
heavy frown upon his face and notify his
royal master that he must quit all such
nonsense.
Events Concealed From Him.
Although Alfonso Is we'll posted in mod
ern and ancient history and European pol
itics, there are several important events
Of recent occurrence that he knows nothing
about. 1t is considered necessary to con-
ceal certain matters from him. which it is
easy to do because he Is almost entirely
dependent upon his ministers and tutors
for information. Occasionally. however. he
finds out something by accident. and this
happened not long ago. distinguished
American being in Madrid, was granted
an audience. and the conversation came
around to the St. Louis exposition, then to
previous enterprises that had been under
taken in the United States. The Pan
American exposition was alluded to. and
the visitor remarked that it might have
been a great success but for the awful
tragedy which occurred there. The king in
quired what that was, and the visitor ex-
ton Of President Mckinley. To his amaze
ment he discovered that the king had never
heard Of 1t. The facts were undoubtedly
concealed from him by his ministers and
secretaries for fear of disturbing his mind.
but his curiosity would not be satisfied and
he cross-examined his visitor until he had
obtained every detail of the event. What
he said to his family and aids for hiding
this matter from him no one knows.
Other Information of similar character
is withheld from him. He knows nothing
OF the political disturbances In Spain; nor
of the anarchist conspiracies that are fire.
quently discovered in Barcelona and other
parts Of the country he does not know that
newspapers are suppressed and that MEM
bers Of parliament are arrested almost daily
for political reasons; he Is not aware of the
bitter attacks that have been made upon
his queen mother in the cortes and upon
the platforms; of the criticism directed
at himself. Everything that may disturb
his peace of mind or affect his temper is
concealed from him, just as he is protected
against contagious diseases and violence.
This. however. cannot always continue and
1t must often be difficult for his advisers
to satisfy his irquisitive mind.
He cannot visit certain parts of his king
dom for fear of assassination. He was com
PEELED to- abandon a tour upon which he
started a few months ago because of con-
spiracies discovered by the police but other
reasons were given for the change Of plans
and I suppose that he was satisfied with
them. He has not the slightest suspicion
of the unpOpularity or his mother, nor Of
the popular disapproval Of the recent mar
rage of his sister to the son of Carlist
general.
Did Not Know Of Manila and Santiago.
Some months ago he went to Carthegena
to inspect the French fleet. There was a
splendid assemblage Of modern battleships
and cruisers, and they were the first that he
had ever seen. During his childhood days
he occasionally visited Of the seaports
and had been on board several Spanish
men-of-war. At the Columbus celebration
eleven years ago he sailed from Cadz to
Huelva upon the finest ship in the Spanish
navy, escorted by vessels from the navies
of all the great powers. twenty-five or thir-
ty in number. There was a great naval
demonstration in honor of the memory of
Columbus, and the little caravals that are
head of the column and furnished striking
contrast between the ships of the fifteenth
and those of the nineteenth century. But
then he was only six years old and could
not appreciate the significance of the dis
play.
At Carthegena. however he went aboard
and inspected some of the finest fighting
ships in existence. He saw for the first
time an up-to-date floating fortress, and
was so much impressed that as soon as he
came home he called the cabinet together
and told them that Spain must have a
similar fleet 1t was then explained to him
for the first time why his country was with
WHAT lS chTARRA9