The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-10-05
Portugal Celebrates Today
 Its Hard-Won Independence

Portugal which has sided with the allies in the great European conflict, will celebrate today it's independence day-the fourth anfnversary of that brief revolution which overturned the throne and gave to Europe a new re- public. Out of the chaos which natur- ally followed so radical and sudden a change in the. form of government, Portugal has issued triumphant, pros porous. happy and free. Itwas a hard-won freedom, for the monarch ists, aided by political, religious and financial powers, have tried again and again to bring the republic down In ruins and restore the exiled Manual Ito his throne. They have failed. and today the Portuguese republic seems firmly established on an enduring ba- sis.
 Hired press agents of the supporters of Manual have filled the press Of Europe and America with inspired arr ticles asserting that the republic has. failed and is doomed to fall. They have alleged that the present regime is more despotic than that of the roy aIistss and that the people at large would welcome Manual back to Lis bon.
 That Portugal has triumphed over its enemies Is due largely to the as sistance and sympathy of France, Great Britain and the United States. The latter government was the first
 
 Great Britain while 1t gave refuge to the King, turned g deaf ear to his solicitations for aid. and almost from the first has upheld the repubH can regime. Tn fact, the London and Paris governments have occupied the role Of protectors of Portugal and have aided largely in defeating the nachina- uons of the republics foes
 Padding to win a favorable hearing. in England the boyish ex-King turned to Germany, where his reception was such as to give him hope He married a wealthy German princess, and from this and other sources obtained the funds to finance two s.revolutionsss having for their object his restoration to the throne. Both attempts failed of popular support. The great major- ity Of the people manifested no inter est in Manuel's cause, and the repub- lican troops found no dih7cu1ty in re- ssisting the half-hearted invasions of the monarchists. For a time Spain gave aid and comfort to the enemies of the republic. but a, year or two ago the Madrid government -po oss- London and Paris-had a sudden change of heart and decided that her neighibor was to be left alone.
 The triumph of republicanism in Portugal is no small matter. The re- 1 public and it's colonies boast a popula-  with an area. Of ]. 200, 900 square miles. | Portugal's active participation in the war. should 1t become necessary. l might well turn the tide of victory.
 The Portuguese are not only satis- 1 fled with their experiment in demo- l cracy, but they are eager propagan- l dists Of republicanism. The anti-mon- archist movement, although it devel- oped suddenly, was not a mushroom growth. As long ago as 1880 pr.
 Braga, who became the president of the provisional government, establish I ed on Oct 5, 1910, wrote a book bear ing the title of sfThe History of Re- publican Ideas in Portugal .'' in which he predicted the creation of a great Latin republic Including Portugal 1 Spain France and Italy. Whether l or not this dream is realized, it is
 certain that Portugaps example, will I have a profound influence on it's Latin I neighbors