Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-02
KING CARLOS
WALKS ABOUT
UNA7 TENDED
PORTUGAL is BECOMING MORE
QUIET
FRANCOIS ENEMIES BLAMED FOR
REPORTS
Correspondent Travels from Madrid
to Lisbon and Finds Country
In Virtually Normal
Condition
By Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
LISBON, Dec. 1.-The baseless char
acter of the alarmist rumors represent
ing that Portugal was on the throes OF
civil war and revolution has been fully
established by the independent investi-
cation of staff correspondent of the
Associated Press. However the fact
that there has been great disorder re-
mains.
A strong suspicion exists that such
reports were part of a campaign OF
Premier frances enemies, instituted
in order to create distrust abroad in
the countrys financial position and
thus discredit and bring about the
downfall of the premier at home.
To q certain extent this ruse was
successful, for the premium on gold
rose to a figure unprecedented in re-
cent years, the movement doubtless
being accentuated by the monetary
stringency abroad. The furry in ex.
change, however, rapidly disappeared
as the gravity of the situation here
was disproved.
Nothing could be more peaceful than
the appearance of the country through
which the Associated Press cores
pondent travelled from Madrid to Lis
bon. Not the remotest evidence OF
popular excitement or agitation was
observable.
In Lisbon business moves on as
usual. The king drives and walks
daily and unattended, and last night
occupied his accustomed box at the
opera.
The American minister, Charles Page
Bryan, who has just returned from a
350-mile business trip through the
country, observed similar tranquility
everywhere. The celebration today oi
the downfall of Spanish domination
was unmarked by demonstrations oil
political manifestation.
History-M aking Epoch
Nevertheless Portugal is passing
through his tory-making, epoch Th'
parliamentary government Of Portu
gal a-is fnodefed after the English pat
tern, but the system has degeneratet
here into the organization of per
feet political machine capable of turn
ing out at will majorities for either
party.
These parties have clients who pro-
vide places without work to influential
men acquiring accumulative salaries
some of them drawing as many as five
simultaneously. BY this system sine
cures became hereditary, in many cases
society women serving on pay rolls but
nowhere else. The premier at the out
set resolved on a program of reform
but the radical measures to which he
was driven developed gradually an
opposition which frustrated his plans
His original program includes, first, the
establishment of a system of public ac-
countabilty; second, ministerial respons-
ibllity; t..ird the voting of an electoral
law which would make parliament reflect
49, xxxtII ox11 Ak nITy
the DEGREES of political machine.
The old parties holding the majority
filibustered for several months until the
premier in despair threw up his hands
and dissolved parliament with the inten-
ton of himself resigning. The king. how
ever, although previously hostile to
Franco, refused to allow him to go and
granted Franco power to govern by de-
cree.
AS dictator. Franco boldly began work
He stopped graft right and left. and did
not hesitate to liquidate the royal debt
by decree, and he further increased the
civil list 100000 He put system OF
public accountability into operation; he
Increased the salaries of the poorly paie
government employees and the officers OF
the army, yet the net result of this ad'
justment Is said to have been reduction
in the deficit of 100000
The leaders of the old parties, who In
cluded members of the oldest Portuguese
nobility, naturally were furious at the
premier's course. They started newt
paper agitation and provoked the so
called anti-Franco demonstration, but ap'
parently they made little headway. They
secured important accessions to theil
party, notably Senior Cunha but out
side of Lisbon and Oporto, where repub'
licanism has considerable strength, per
sons familiar wit. the situation say there
is little republican sentiment.
Their Hopes Shattered
The hope of the old party that King
Carlos would abandon Franco has beer
rudely shattered by his majesty's recent
interview indorsing the dictators policy
and announcing his intention to see him
through the present acute phase. The
old parties with their backs to the
wall, are fighting with redoublsd energy
and shifting their attacks on tAe king. on
the ground that he is exceeding his con-
stitutiona, role, but Franco, with his
hands tightened on the reins, while per-
mitting free criticism of himself, har for
hidden criticism of the government, sup
pressing newspapers violating his injunc-
tion ,and when the recent bomb tiasco oc-
CURED he instituted a summer tribunal
to try anarchists and offenders against
public security. He prohibited also
speeches designed to infiame the populace.
1t is understood that Premier Franco
is now confident that government ma
jority is in sight and he expects to be
able to hold the elections In March.