Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-31
Miseellansuns Rsading.
THE MAKING OF ALFONSO.

THE MAKING OF ALFONSO.
The Young Queen Credited With Max
| .. ing a Real King Of Him.
When the dastardly attempt was
made on the life of Alfonso and his
queen after their marriage the people
began to worship their ruler. They
saw in him an ideal, true descend
ant of the great Bourbons, and the
youthful monarch was placed on the
| highest pinnacle of popularity.
That was six years ago. Extrava-
gance in the ropal household, unwise
political favoritism and decidedly Eng
lish tendencies slowly lowered the
young king from popular favor, while
family troubles and wholesale
house cleaning of the grandees insti-
gated by the queen, added to the pre-
cariousness of his position.
Queen Victoria, un-Spanish, insult
ed by national temperament to reign
over a southern people, but with the
keen intuition of an Englishwoman
foresaw the imminent danger unless a
radically different method OF proce-
dure was adopted. With the indomi-
table spirit which has always charac-
terized her ancestry she took matters
into her own hands.
Many and long were the conferences
with her husband, and while the world
does not know what took place at La
Granja and Santander the world does
known that Alfonso XIII. soon became
different man. He travelled and be-
came imbued with the spirit Of ad-
vancing Europe; he applied himself to
departmental details, familiarizlng
himself with faulty conditions in gov
ernmental affairs, which were In many
cases speedily remedied.
The premier and his cabinet officials
soon realized that the former weak
and vacillating youth really had ideals
and that their measures were not as
easily carried through as formerly. AL
fonso studied his people. He visited
all the provinces Of his kingdom.
Above all he abandoned the puer-
ilities which were scandalizing not
only Madrid but all Europe as well.
Alfonso became a real king. Victoria
was victorious, and Spain today can
thank that noble woman for the path
which has been hewn for the advance
ment Of her government and the bet
terment of conditions throughout the
country.
These changes occurred about two
years ago. Since that time this untried
young man has developed into one Of
the most capable rulers of Europe.
Ministries came and fell, but each sit
uation was handled In a cool and COL
lected manner which commanded the
respect of even his enemies and the
people of the nation. In 1909, the open
sore OF Spain, the Moroccan situation,
| again broke out.
Then It was that Alfonso proved
himself to be more than a puppet king.
The revolt was speedily terminated by
an iron hand. The king declared his
intention of going into Morocco, and
1t was only with the greatest Difficult
ty that the cabinet dissuaded him.
The Spanish public, which admires
bravery more than any other virtue.
was enthused with the bold declara-
tions of their young ruler; the press
lauded his spirit and Alfonso return
sd with a rush into popular favor.
In the palace in Madrid amid the
pressure of other activities daily he
wrote and mailed dozens Of picture
postcards to the officers in Morocco.
Aside from departmental correspond
ence the generals received encouraging
letters commencing their services and
expressing regret at his inability to be
with them. If a common soldier ac-
complished a deed of valor he received
letter of thanks from his king. With
postcards and letters Alfonso won that
war, but more than a dozen Riftian
battles, he won the hearts Of officers
and men. That was his victory.
Since the Moroccan trouble he has
kept In constant touch with the army.
The majority of the generals are his
personal friends. including Weyler,
who is the leader Of army affairs In
the peninsula. These men are con-
tinuousy entertained at La Granja, the
kings summer home not far from
Madrid, and at Santander, where he
spends several months each year.
His ear is always open to COM
plants from the ranks of the soldiers
and as a result plots are always nip
ped in the bud and the instigators
summarlly punished. The army as a
whole not only admlres. but loves It's
young king. and in this fact. and this
fact alone, lies his power. Alfonso Is
the soldiers ideal.-American Review
of Reviews.