Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-07


ernorship OF the Credito Predial. has
been robbing the treasury by means OF
an intricate system of double-entry book
keeping. The victims-the bond and
shareholders-will not be appeased by the
arrest Of subordinates who have been Sc
lected as scapegoats. and one of them has
already put the criminal law in motion
against the former prime minister. 1t is
probable, in view Of the immunity &C
corded criminals in Portugal, especially
those of rank. that the culprit VIII es-
cape scot free, but meanwhile his politi-
cal career is ended. and with it the old
evil OF rotatavism which the eX-minister
had maintained.
The day following the assassination OF
King Carlos and the crown prince an
English writer who knows
Rotativism Portugal and the Portu-
guese like book wrote:
Oooineu. 'Buica's bullets have not
only ended the lives Of the king and
crown prince and shattered the Franco
Dictatorship; they have also mortally
stricken rotatavism, the curse and blight
Of modern Portugal"
What was the Franco dictatorship? 1t
is important for the comprehension OK
the situation that 1t may be understood,
for it is given to few to know Portugal
and the Portuguese. 1t is important to
fix the status of the Franco dictatorship,
for It is recalled that May II, 1907, less
than ten months prior to the assassina-
ton of Don Carlos, Senior Franco issued
his first dictatorial decree. !,
FRANCES policy, supported by the KING;
was to establish a government unassisted
by parliament. He would introduce Or
der in the finances, improve the educa-
tional system, raise the salaries or tne
unde-paid employees and reform inc
army. The irregularities in all these
administrations constituted cryNhS
shame to the state There were CRIES u
nrotestation, cit was Dictatorship
senior Franco with the kings support
uent forward 1--WE must go forward
with the parliament or without II. Sehor
Franco was a dictator, certainly, but ne
accomplished what no government In
Portugal had ever dared to attempt lie
suppressed salaries for which no serVice
was rendered amounting to oo.VbVV
francs; salaries were prohipltea i,o I'm
being compounded, gambling, Which nau
demoralized the people, was intet in,,s1id
and a pension was established for lnvallo
workbench. The industrial and CONNER
cial world applauded the king ana MS
minister. 900, Canon
Machado prophesied that the Fepu'''0
4
Yi,p Carlos. when questioned on the
subject replied that matters had come
to such pass in Portugal
Carlos that the situation was impos-
pol;cy sihle. 'oniy the poilt .0n,
IoAlcy. are excited" he said. "Then
I gave to Senior Franco the means OF
governing. In order to accord 1t l exact
ed a guarantee OF character. l wanted
a will without weakness in order TO
carry out my ideas. Senior Franco has
proved himself the man I required we
are in full accord"
Alas! the politicians slew the king and
crown prince in order to inaugurate the
reign Of anarchy in the name of liberty.
King Manuel happily escaped from the
desperate attempt to extermlnate the
royal family and acceded to power the
same day February 2. 19OS)- He sum-
moned to aid him in governing Rear Ad.
miral Ferreira de Amaral, member OF
the progressist-dissident party, when Is
liberal with monarchical tendencies Re
generadores and progressistas, who had
so long taken turns at being ms or outs
at the rotataVist game, alike seemed SIN
cere in supporting the coalition ministry
of monarchical concentration Whlch was
partisan leadership of Admiral Ferreira
de Amaral. The accession of the young
king, who was but nineteen years or age
in 1903 and the horrible tragedy Whlch
created for him and his ministers an az
mosphere. of unusual sympathy and al
lection have been recounted at length. All
went well for a season. the ministers tax
ing for their device the Portuguese word
"acalmacao," signifying pacification. They
were apparently determined to win rest
q
deadly serpent was only Scotched, not
killed Senior Luciano de Castro, Tor
mer prime minister, as we nave seen,
Joined hands with the malcontents, and,
using his power in parliament, overthrow
in his own selfish interests and those Of
his party the Amaral ministry. Since
then. scarcely more than six months, four
other ministries have been overturned by
the same occult influence.
-
On June q. after fruitless interviews
with the regeneradores' leader, King
Manuel invited Senior
latest Texeira de Souza. a Sc
-. ceder from the regenera-
Ministry. dores, to form a ministry.
which would be termed the moderate left.
The Saturday Review. under the caption
of "Portugars Forlorn Hope" takes
very pessimistfo view Of the situation.
1t says that the new prime minister Is
full Of compliments for French doctri-
naires and high-sounding phrases about
Portugaps progress, evolution, etc. King
Manueps choice, however, is the best.
He could not form a right ministry be-
cause the right in Portugal, as in other
Latin countries. Is weak in parliament,
with a weakness quite out of proportion
with the strength in the country. A right
ministry was doomed to failure and such