New-York tribune., 1917-07-31
The Crisis in Spain
Bv Dr.. L. Pardo


which before the war was one OF the most
prosperous sections. has been ruined and fruie
prcwers who heretofore made a comfortable
living have been compelled to apply to the
government for financial aid-even IN the
form of charity.
In the midst of these disturbed conditions
tho military element has taken strong stand
IN defence of its privileges. The military
question threatened to be very serious, for
which the Garcia Prieto Cabinet Is to blame
For a long time the officers OF the cavalry,
artillery and other branches of the army had
organized boards of defence for the purpose
of promoting the welfare and progress OF
their members and TO urge the government
to undertake the reorganization and improve
ment Of the army. Such boards had been or
panized with government approval The IN
fantry decided to follow the lead of the other
branches and establishl their board with Of
fees I'm Barcelona, c.. ghich was Tor q
long time the nest Of all radical movements
In Spain. The government became suspicious
and under the advice of the military gov
ernor the dissolution of the board was or
dered, but was not carried out. The govern
ment then placed the members OF the Doard
under arrest, and the officers sent vigorous
protest against what they considered ais-
crimination and a violation Of their rights
Tho Dato Ministry Yields
This was the real and direct cause Of the
last Cabinet crisis. The Dato government ap-
peased the military. The public is still won
dering whether the action of the infantry Of
fcers was due simply TO syndicalist influence
spreading from the labor element to the
bureaucracy, Of which the army is one of the
most powerful branches, or if it was polt-
ical move intended TO place group more Ia
vorable TO the army in the government, or n,
as some papers hinted, warning given by the
government that the army was TO be taken
into account in the elaboration of an inter-
national programme.
Whatever their motives, the officers created
a state of intense apprehension and distrust
The Board of Defence realized that the et-
fects of the protest were liable to go further
than desired, and issued an explanatory state
ment repudiating any ulterior motives and
declaring that until the board submitted its
plans for the reorganization of the army any
statement about their demands was prema-
ture.
The alarm, however, spread, and the Social
lists of Barcelona who saw in the attitude OF
the officers a menace TO the community, met
hurriedly and issued a statement declaring:
First-That there was in the military
question a political and social aspect which
il was necessary to investigate.
Second-That for the mismanagement and
disorganization of the army the military ele-
ment was to blame, since it had been duly
represented in every Cabinet
Third-That In view of the seditious atti-
tude of the army, the people at large should
: ,l,c 90 ni,y,l
power.
Fou-th-That the responsibility for the
present conditions belonged, not only to the
recent government, but to every government
under the monarchy, and, therefore, to the
monarchical regime.
Fifth That the Socialists should protest
against certain leactonary measures, and
against the possibility of Maura and his re-
dictionary group being put in charge of the
government
The Republicans, on their part, blamed the
monarchical regime for all the troubles and
boldly declared that no change in the Cabinet
would solve the question. 1t was necessary
to change entirely the political system,
Barcelona and Regionalism
Barcelona and the whole Province of Cata-
lonia has been longing for autonomy as long
as Ireland has. 1t is probably the most pro-
gressve, the best developed and most cult
ured section Of Spain, and its people refuse
to be ruled by governors and military COM
manders sent from Madrid without allowing
the Catalonians to solve their own problems.
The aspiration, because it has been vigorously
repressed, has spread to other provinces,
especially in the North and Northwest, Civ
ing birth to a new political idea-regionalism
of which the Catalonians are the most
vigorous defenders No wonder they have
taken advantage of the present situation. It
is under such conditions, when the central
government loses strength and its attention
is divided by many difficult matters, that any
toward liberty and political prog
ress takes momentum
Regionalism, the military question and the
economic problems are the rocks on which
the Dato Cabinet may be wrecked Neutral
ity has passed to the second place for the
time being and will not by itself embarrass
the government. It may be revived in the
future, but even the most ardent interven-
tionists are not very earnest in their belief
that Spanish help will win the war for the
Allies. Spanish Intervention would hardly af-
feet the course of the war.
The Dato Cabinet is not popular one; it
is not by itself strong one. 1t may last,
however. simply because all radical elements
in Spain realize that after the failure Of two
Liberal cabinets, if new crisis arises the
King virtually will be compelled to call
Maura, their bitterest and most irreconcil-
able foe.