The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-07-03
ALFONSO'S REIGN ENDING
Church. Carlss Republicans, and Illness Threaten Exist
of Spain's Ruler.

ion OF the concordat. they viii have to be
made by Spain, in such fashion as 70
remove the restrictions imposed by the
treaty Of 1851 upon the church, aad 20 In
crease rather than diminish the latter's
authority.
Senior Canaieias is the first Spanish
premier to grapple with the revision of.
the concordat question with energy and
vigor Most OF his predecessors in Office
had pledged themselves TO deal with the
subject. bat had been afraid 10 put their
promises into execution. and the rank
and nle OF the Liberal party had become
so discouraged by what they regarded as
betrayal of their interests, that they
were drifting away zen masse" into the
republican camp. II was to arrest this
wholesale desertion. and In the hope of
retaining the Liberals together as a
party, loyal 70 the dynasty. that Canale-
jas set 10 work IN real earnest 70 revise
the concordat.
Confronted by the pretensions of the
Vatican from the very outset of the
negotiations. and with the object OF bring.
ing pressure to bear upon the papacy, the
Spanish premier announced his intention
OF enforcing 20 the letter the provisions
Of the concordat of 1851. Those imposed
a number of restrictions upon the church,
which have been far more honored in the
breach than IN the observance.
Thus. the eoncordat limits the number
OF religious orders in the kingdom 20
less than 100; whereas to-day there are
nearly 1900 orders. most of them owning
taxation, as well as other privileges, that
strictly speaking should belong only 70
the orders provided for by the treaty of
1851 It is not merely that these unau-
thor!zed religious orders are large own
ers OF landed property. but they are also
engaged all over Spain In industry and
commerce. some of them even owning
steamship lines, and the very fact that
they have been permitted 10 go untsxed
has given them enormous advantages
over their lay rivals in business, and has
been a source OF constant bitterness TO
the latter.
With the approval OF the King, Canale-
jas Issued orders to the receivers general
Of revenue in the forty-nine provinces of
Spain, directing them to inform all the
religious congregations, religious orders,
and communities not explicitly author
tied by the concordat that they would
have in the first place to seek charters,
in accordance with the terms and re-
quirements Of the law governing the for
nation and existence Of corporations and
societies Of one kind and another; that
II they declined 10 conform TO this de-
cree their order would be dispersed and
their property conhscated 10 the state.
He also caused it TO be intimated TO
them that If they obtained the neces-
sary charters they would thenceforth
be subjected to the same real estate
taxes, income tax. municipal and indus
trial imposts. succession taxes. and trans
fer taxes as any other corporation or So
cIety. The premier further instructed
the minister of the treasury 10 obtain
through his officers statistics OF the in
dustries and trade carried on by the re-
ngiOus orders. with a view TO their being
subjected TO the same fiscal burdens as
ordinary industry and commerce.
Plus X, instead OF being moved by this
departure of Premier Canalejas 10 en-
deavor to seek a compromise on the sub
jeet OF the revision of the concordat
preferred 10 see therein declaration OF
hostilities. He protested violently against
the DEGREES concerning the unauthorized
religious orders. declaring that the pre-
mier had no right to inaugurate any
such policy while the negotiations fer
the revision OF the concordat were in
progress.
Moreover, he has chosen to interpret
the action OF the Spanish cabinet as the
beginning of a war such as that which
the French government has been wag-
Ing against the church ever since the re-
peal Of the concordat and the cessation
OF all official intercourse with the papacy
q few years ago. The dispersal by the
French government OF all the religious
orders that declined TO submit TO the
laws governing associations and corpo-
ratiOns. and the confscation OF the vast
property belonging 10 the church and 10
the religious orders In France. was a
great blow 10 the papacy, and, moreover,
constituted an enormous loss of revenue,
besides a heavy drain on its exchequer.
The Vatican will not allow anything OF
the kind 70 take place in Spain, which
it has always regarded as its own pc
culiar preserve, without a severe strug-
gle. Finding that King Alfonso has
thrown in hts lot with Senior Canalejas
and is determined to Loyalty support the
liberal administration on the ground that
it is only by so doing that he can keep
abreast Of the tide OF republieanism that
is arising all over the Iberian peninsula,
In Spain as we'll as in Portugal, the pa