Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-08

danger of the situation, has recon- |
structed his party and instituted a new
program, the chief feature of which is
the remodeling of the law of separa-
ton of church and state, alterations in
taxation, a new electoral law and
other liberal schemes, the idea being
TO attract all the moderately disposed
republicans and monarchists. 1t is
generally considered more than doubt
full whether he will have any success,
as the greater part of the country has
lost faith in all politicians Moreover,
the opposition of the more advanced
republicans is too great to permit of
any Roadway in this direction.
This condition of affairs reacts on
commerce. Trade is now considerably
paralyzed, while the lack of money is
great. In Portugal the bulk of trade
is effected on credit, the banks dis
counting term drafts. During the last
few months, bankers, due to the lack
of funds, have reduced such facilities
to one~quarter Of the previous amount.
while the Bank of Portugal, which
l
has practically stopped all private dis
counts, the cash it has in hand being
insufficient to supply the constant de-
mand for the governments depleted
Golfers The state now possesses
nearly 80 percent of the total of the
issue of the Bank of Portugal. The
circulation of notes has increased
steadily from the time of the revolu-
ton of 1910 without a concomitant
increase in the metallic reserve. The
floating debt has also been augment
ed. The actual deficit amounts to
about ten millions yearly. People are
posing the question of what will be-
come of Portugal in the event of a
political or financial upheaval.
This unsettled condition of Portugal
is attracting the attention of Europe,
and fears are openly expressed in re-
sponsible quarters that European in
Itervention may become necessary. The
recent general strike in Portugal,
which started as a labor movement
pure and simple, was seized upon by
anarchists and monarchistic agitators
as a means of furthering their move
ments. The government, therefore
found it necessary to declare a gener-
al state of siege and to pour thous-
ands of troops through the streets OF
Lisbon and Oporto. Over 1900 lead
ers of the movement were arrested
and imprisoned upon warships in The
harbor of Lisbon.
Under this stern repression the
strike gradually died, but there is still
left the undercurrent of uneasiness
the agitation among the friends of the
strikers who are still in prison, anC
more important than these, the declar
ed intention of the monarchists really
to attempt the restoration.
One of the problems of the new re
: public of Portugal is that of SNUG
?, glers. Smuggling goes on incessantl.
v over the Spanish frontier and it ha
lately increased in audacity. A larg
Il number of smugglers have been al
V rested and imprisoned. A daring al
/ tempt at the escape of smugglers OF
l. Cured recently at the prison of v
n anna DO Castillo. About 80 prisoners
II including brigands and smuggler!
" with the conniyance of jailers, dug
d tunnel from the prison and escape
l. to the beach, where they seized a larg
h fishing boat. After throwing 16 {
1t the crew overheard they took to tn
ar open sea- A gun boat, which had bee
,r notified of the escape, started in pu
W suit and engaged the sailing boat in
v combat, finally sinking it. Eighty {
L. the prisoners were taken off by tn
IN gun boat, but 10 persisted.
:. Recently the authorities learne
a that extensive smuggling was goiI
T. on near Chuxusca and sent big fore
ic of cavalry to watch. At midnight
Of band of smugglers was sighted emer
r. ing from the forest. The cavalry pu
as sued them and finally came up
o. them as they were entering a tunne
te To their establishment the trool
Ia found themselves soon in the interit
n to bay, the smugglers, who numbers
or % and who were armed with old gun
II. pistols and stilettos, made fierce I
a. sistance. They refused to surrende
ne whereupon the troops poured in W
of ley. The fight then became genera
re- but the smugglers finally surrendert
n after five of them had been killed al
e nine wounded. The soldiers lost "
killed and six wounded.
'N cunc nNnITICc