The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-04-18

AAtC foA 81 VI a new ftEOiltloN. II GldlfflS
the right unheld by all the other Eu-
ropear nations. as President Wilson
recently said, of settling its disputes
both internal and external. by an ap-
peal to arms il it so wishes.
This threatened revolution Is not
horn of an attempt by the deposed
King Manuel to regain his throne. al
though that might easily follow upon
a divided country. 1t is due instead
to quarrel among the very forces
that sent Manuel and his ambitious
mother into English exile. And the
particular prize over which these repub-
lican factions are planning fight Is
the control of the coming elections
and, through them, a control of the
government for the next three years.
To an observer the factions are per-
sonlfied by two strong men who
stand arrayed against each other de-
termined to fight to the last. one is
already known to American leaders.
He is DR.. Alfonso Costa. former pre-
mier and, ever since the flight OF Mani
uel. the strong hand behind the forces
that ruled Portugal. A clever lawyer,
absolutely lacking in personal fear,
INSCRIPTIONS in his political actions.
he gathered about him handful OF
weaker though more vocal friends anu
through his control of the secret or
ganization known as "the White
Ants" which diligently spied In every
corner of the country, succeeded, up to
a short time ago, in holding the reins
of power.
But most like most strong men. he
made enemies and like most politically
fsfa 4.t, tgnI n
opposition determined upon his down.
fall. IL WAS not long before the more
ardent of the democrats who thought
they saw the dawn of new and
brighter era with the appearance of
royal skirts and boots. rebelled against
Costa's autocratic assumption of power
and the rigor with which he applied
the most drastic martial law to polit-
icai suspects. 90 far as political lib
erty was concerned, Portugal lost.
rather than gained. by the change from
Manuel to DR., Alfonso.
But these radical revolts were not
serious and, beyond a bomb explosion
now and then In the Praca da Dom
Pedro. or a few shots fired wildly at
the lighted window in Costa's house
by a wouldbe-assassn, would probab-
ly never have disturbed this new die
tator of Portugal. Unfortunately for
him other men of character and brav-
cry, above reproach of self-seeking end
tstill more unfortunately for him) Just
as INSCRIPTIONS as he in their poiiti-
cal methods, were at work To show
how these men and their leader eyen-
tually put Costa (for the time being.
at leasD in the discard, ii Is necessary
to go into ancient history bit.
1t must be remembered that the heart
of the Portuguese army was not in the
revolution that set up the republic That
revolution was planned and carried
through by Costa and others by UNDER
mining the loyalty of a few hundred
troops I'm Lisbon, almost accidentally hit
ting upon a moment when most OF the
loyal officers were absent from theiI
commands. and then muddling through
in the most extraordinary and grotesdue
fashion. Probably never outside Central
America was a country ever before rushed
into a revolution and into a change OF
government by such comparatively weak
forces AS a matter of fact, IL is af-
firmed, even by members of Costa's gov
eminent that 500 republican troops with
out officers. caught In Lisbon and unable
to escape (Which they greatly desired to
do) really won the day
Now the army, and especially the ofh-
Ger class, has viewed Costa and his au-
tocracy with -ill-concealed dislike. Costa
has not been blind to this and has con-
|stantly played the rank and file and the
non-commissoned officers off against the
officers. In addition, he has kept the
military barracks around Oporto and Lis
hon crowded with his white Ant spies,
who have constantly reported to theif
leader every sedtious utterance on the
part of the officers. Through his control
of the higher commands of the army,
Costa has not failed to use this Informal
ton. so carefully gathered and recent
attempt to do so. in a wholesale fashion,
not only resulted in the fell of the die
tator. but brought into the lmelight an
equally determined and equally piclur-
esuue dictator, who up to the time OF
dispatching this has out-dictatored Costa
in a manner heretofore quite undreamt
of by even that most adroit political
sehemer.
Costa bit off more than he was able to
chew when, upon the recommendation OF
a civilian spy, he ordered the transfer
of several officers of a Lisbon regiment
to some distant command. because they
had threatened certain sergeants with dis
culinary punishment for breach Of
regulations. Immediately other officers
in Lisbon protested to the government
Nothing daunted, Costa arrested 10 OF
them, decided to try them by curt
martial dismiss those found guilty and
promote the offending sergeants to the
rank of commissioned officers. Costa Is
nothing If not thorough and courageous
But this time the officers were equally
determined. All the officers of the Lis
bon garrison and most of the naval off,
GERS simultaneously placed their resisna.
lions In the hands of the government and
serious crisis was at hand.
A military party met and decided te
proclaim General Pimenta de Castro prime
minister. But the aged and weak Presi-
dent DIR. d'Aniga, seems to have got
wind of the plan: for, before the military
party could take action, he wrote to
General de Castro a pathetic letter In
W hich he appealed to him as an old friend
to become prime minister and restore
unhappy Portugal to internal peace. De
Castro accepted, and Costa and his fol-
lowers were bundled bag and baggage
out of Black House Square.
This was the first appearance in the
forefront of General Pimenta, but since
then he has given ample evidence that
he is big man. He is 6s years of age,
but as strong and energetic as man
still in his 40s. His army service wal
done in the Engineers, the best corps
of the Portuguese military organization
He is entirely unknown to fame In his
own country. He Is a man Of strong
Independence of character and under the
monarchy he was often prosecuted. but
even his royalist enemies admired his
strong sense of justice. In the Chagas
republican cabinet he was dismissed or
the grounds that he was not adequately
defending the republic because he with
drew all money grants from the White
Ants and refusel to allow them to entei
the military barracks. In other words
he tried fall with the powerful white