The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-10-06

!
poverished by the war her banks so
metal Is at Il discount and her people
mostly going without sufficient to eat
seems to keep international observ-
ers here on the brink of plunging into
state of disorderly turmoil Ike that
recently witnessed in Russia.
The sanguinary events of the world
war distract attention from King AL
fonso NIIIs country. But history is
being made there, which In normal
times would fill the front pages of the
newspapers and be the principal topic
Of discussion here from the tea table
to the cabinet room.
Spain is probably the hardest hit
by the war Of all the nations except
those actually In the conflict In the
early part Of the war the agitation
between pro-ally and pro-German
groups was looked upon as possible
source Of trouble, but this interna-
tional question Is now Overshadowed
by multitude of internal maladies
any one Of which would ordinarily be
considered Of major Importance.
Alfonso Is Kissed.
Alfonso, the athletic young king,
has lost his former popularity. He
Is Kissed in the theater and stays
away from polo games because Of an
ticlpated disagreeable hostile dem
onstrations. This is because he is
blamed for the series of impotent gov
ernments which battle weakly and
Intellectually against the nations null
| tiplying difficulties. But Alfonso is
no kaiser. He is as much at the mercy
of the conflicting political currents
as his subjects. However. it Is the
| prerogative Of a kings subjects to
| blame him for everything that hap
| pens.
Mail dispatches received here de-
scribe the labor disorders in Spanish
cities, which have resulted in several
hundred deaths, as likely to increase
rather than diminish. Perhaps this
Is the most serious of the dangers
threatening Alfonso today.
The radical workmen, to be COM
pared with the Bolsheviki of Petro-
grad, are pursuing course of sabo-
tage and destruction In an effort to
intimidate the authorities. But the
outbreaks in different cities appear to
have little connection and the move
ment Is not well organized
Whatever power the workingmen's
revolution has arises from the fact
that 1t costs two and half times
as much to live in Spain as it did be- |
fore the war while wages, contrary
to the experience in most other coun-
tries, have remained stationary or act |
.ually decreased.
Many lines Of profitable manufac- |
turing have had to close, because their |
markets In the Teutonic countries |
and in Russia have been cut off |
by war lines and because England,
France and Italy are stringently linn
fting importations. In few lines the
entente allies have demanded all Spain
could produce and have made mer-
chants and manufacturers wealthy be-
yond their widest dreams. But these
exceptions have not relieved the gen
eral situation.
Army It's Own Master
The army so far has proved depend
able when set to the task of putting
down the revolutionary workingmen.
But SPANS army Is almost self-gOv-
erning. as Russia's was for many
weeks last spring, before kerensky
was able to use the spectre of defeat
by Germany to restore discipline
Every army corps and smaller unit
has, 1t appears, council Of defense.
This Is especially representative of the
noncommissioned officers and commits
stoned officers Of lower grade, who feel
themselves ill-treGted by the bureau
cracy at Madrid It will be re-
membered that in the army crisis
of few weeks ago the officers were
able to force the release Of their lead
rs who had been thrown into fortress
prisons. The army trouble is not set
tied. The officers demand technical
changes In organization. more pay, and
less favoritism in promotions.
A third clearly defined source Of
trouble is the separatist movement in
Catalonia. The Galatians speak diff
ferent language from the people of
Madrid. 1t might be described as mid
way between French and Spanish, as
Catalonia lies between France and the
rest of Spain. The Catalan is insult
ed If called a Spaniard-"Catalan" Is
what he likes as a designation of na-
tionality.
The province of Catalonia is the
most prosperous and most
in the country. Its cap
tai, Barcelona, is the center and hot ;
bed of most revolutionary movements {
n Spain. Most Of its people would
rather be part e France than of /
Spain. They bellies a hidebound, in t
curably antique government at Ma :
irid is preventing their taking a place L
With the most advanced peoples on |
he globe. I
Other Spanish provinces would also
ike to break away from the Madrid
perhaps partly in tmi- d
alton of Catalonia, but more on ac- f
.ount Of what differences in race, Ian q
Iuage, manners and habits of thought. G
These three causes of trouble men, II