Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-09

marked for assassination. That Is why
he deemed it wise to flee. But the
assassination of the king was not expect
ed and 1t created almost reign of terror
in high places.
Plot Only Half Successful.
There is not the slightest question that
the plot was only half successful. The
murder of the entire royal family and the
extinction of the dynasty was the aim of
the conspirators. -.r
It is certain that other men had been
stationed at other points of the route OF
the royal carriage that fatal Saturday aft
ernoon. and that If the murder had not
been committed on the Praca do Com
mercio it would have been attempted else
where. That same night an attempt was
made to bring about a mutiny on the part
of the infantry and artillery regiments In
Lisbon, but the officers locked the doors
Of the barracks and the conspirators were
unable to gain access to the men.
There have been many reports Of dis
satisfaction in the army and navy. but
careful Investigation does not confirm
them, and 1t may be assumed that the
military Is still loyal
The latter part of this week the fear
grew that an attempt would be made the
day the funerals were held, Saturday. to
complete the bloody work that was left
unfinished a week ago. To prevent any
tions were taken. Neither the king nor
the queen will follow the funeral cortegel
Young King Brave.
At first the king insisted on walking on
foot behind the collins OF his father and
brother. with his uncle. the Duke OF
Oporto, but from this he was dissuaded
by his mother. Queen Amelie. and the pre-
mier, Admiral Ferreira. who refused to
assume any responsibility for such rash
ness.
The censorship that Is being maintained
at Lisbon over both commercial and press
dispatches is rigorous. There is IN oper.
alton a regular star-chacmber to prevent
any but the most rosy view of the situ-
alton from reaching the outside world
Even letters mailed at the post office are
burned by the authorities.
The foreign newspaper correspondents
who hocked into Lisbon after the tragedy
were completely fooled for several days
They were informed by telegraph officials
high and low that the censorship was vir-
tually at an end. BY this means they were
induced to file their messages in Lisbon
But thousands of the words written by
the newspaper men never got any farther
than the waste paper basket. The send
ers became suspicious that they were be-
ing tricked and this belief was finally
confirmed when sections OF news dispatch.
es taken at random in order to completely
ed to the writer's.
Censorship Stupid.
The censorship was applied in the most
stupid fashion. Not only was everything
representing Portugal to be in other thar
a state of blissful tranquility and deep
est mourning eliminated for the out
going press reports. but whenever a cen.
sor with half knowledge OF fore,g On Ian
guages saw q word that looked danger
Gus he would extract whole sentence
regardless of the sense and meaning.
AS an instance a dispatch sent to the
Associated Press denying the reports OIL
the arbitrary striking out of words like
revolutionary" rifles plot" etc. The
use in any connection Of the words "regi.
eide" Dictatorship" arms, bombs
plots" or the like, was usually sufficient
to have the message thrown away. quite
regardless of the connection in which the
words were used. Statements that troops
were on the streets Of Lisbon were can
celed and not one word regarding the
financial situation was allowed to pass
the censor.
Franco Pleads for Privacy.
BORDEAUX. February s.-Joao Franco
the former premier of Portugal. who ar
rived here yesterday with his family from
Madrid, spent today in his room at a
hotel near the railroad station. His only
answer to repeated requests for informa-
ton as to his future movements was that
he had abandoned politics. and he prayed
all questioners to leave him alone with
his great sorrow"