The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-02-06
PREMIER FRANCO HAS
GONE into SECLUSION
Young King Believed In Franco and
Would Have Retained Him, But
the Queen Mother Attrib-
uted Deaths To Him.

1lsDon, teDfuary 5.-lhe announced i'll
tention of the new cabinet to put an end
to repression and restore the old libearl
monarchy, which has existed in Portugal
for so years, has had a soothing effect on
the country. Tranquility is reported from
everywhere in the interior and today.
Lisbon, baskng in the brilliant sunshine,
seems perfectly peaceful.
Troops are less conspicuous on the
! streets today and if the funeral passes
without incident the present phase of
the crisis through which the country is
passing may be regarded as at an end.
| The willingness of Senior Maehado, the
republican leader. and the republicans
generally TO acquiesce in the present sit
uation, II their friends are released seems
| to insure a return to less strenuous modes
of political warfare. Generally speaking
another upheaval in the near future is
considered practically impossible.
| Intense interest is shown in Frances
| whereabouts, as the drama centers about
him, but he remains in seclusion. SEEM
| ingly crushed in spirit. He declines To
| see correspondents, to offer a defense for
his policy and explain his downfall or
+! his decision TO retire completely from the
| political arena.
His elimination is regretted by the COM
mercial classes and foreign elements, who
are convinced that his sole object was
the good of the country.
The young King himself believed in
Franco. The day after the tragedy,
while unbosomipg himself to a lifelong
friend, he said:
Il intend to retain Franco He was my
| fathers friend and shall be mine."
No Chance For Franco.
| 1t is well krown, however, that the
| Dowager queen has always been hostile
! to the former premier. and latterly
! Queen Amelie shared the view that the
! dictatorship had been carried too far.
! She is said to have demonstrated with
! him and that it might end in tragedy
and invoked him in behalf of a milder
! course IN memory of what her own fam
| lily had suffered in France.
| On the day of the assassinations in the
face of the confusions, when beside
herself with grief Queen Amelie turned
! upon Franco and cried:
This is what your work has DONE
! The reconciliation of these two utter
ances with the influences represented, Is
| believed to furnish the true key to the
! secret of Frances downfall
Kings Personality.
] The young soveregns personality Is
| said by those who know him to be very
| winning. AS a lad he displayed fine
| manly traits He has considerable artistic
| talent for music, and like his father
| who was exceedingly fond of outdoor
| SPORTS such as tennis, riding and shoot
| ing. He was reared with great care by
the devoted Queen. who took the warmest
| interest in the education of the princes,
| both of whom spoke English, French,
! Spanish and Italian perfectly.
| The Kings tutor sings the praises OF the
| King and his dead brother.
f.io I,
and then told anecdote illustrative of
| the Kings gentle nature. As Prince he
had always spoken of the Queen as Her
Majesty" One day. however. he used the
term mother" then turned to the tutor
and said:
q think l like the word mother best.
] read last night that the Queen vas lost
| in the wife, the wife in the mother"
Fond of Americans.
1t will be interesting to America that
| King Manuel is especially fond of Amer
| lea and Americans In May. 1904, when he
was appointed a naval apprentice, an
American squadron under Rear Admiral
Barker, then at the Azores, FASTENED its
arrival a few days at the request of the
American minister, Charles Pave Bryan.
| in order to be present at the ceremony
The Prince was overJoyed at the courtesy
and when speaking to -lInister Bryan
| since seldom failed to recall the delight
| and pleasure he had in the presence of
the American officers.
Preparations for the funeral of the dead
King and Crown Prince are rapidly near
ing completion. Mr.. Bryan has received
| the appointment of special envoy OF
America. He has transmitted the resolu-
tion of sympathy adopted by the Amer
lean Senate to Foreign Minister Lima,
who was especially touched by the ap-
preeiatlve form of the coincidence.
Reporters Disappointed.
The foreign newspaper correspondents
from London, Paris and Berlin are flock
ing into Lisbon. They seem disappoint-
ed at finding that the country is not in
the throes of revolution. The out
going telegraph lines already are swamp
ed and there are many delays incident to
the flood of messages. Increased pre-
cautions have been taken by the au-
thorities to prevent the spread of false
or alarming reports.
Both commercial and press kilograms
are examined to see that they conform
to the regulations forbidding the trans
mission of anything inimical to the pub
lie security or irreverent to the royal
family.
Premier Ferriera held a lengthy con-
ference today with ex-Premier Castro and
Senior Vilhena respectively the lead
ers of the progressist and regenerator
parties, what measures should be
taken for the speedy re-establishment of
a parliamentary regime in which ef-
| forts the ministry is receiving the sup
| port of the press, almost without ex-
ception.
The leading partisans of the pretender
| Dom Miguel, have called at the palace
| and offered their coincidence All the
| governors of the provinces and other high
| officials have sent in their designations.
-~-----------------~-----
concerned, the public printer be tenn