Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-07-16
THE TROUBLES OF SPAIN.


possess a modern king-one who con-
tented himself with being good to his
subjects in distress, who gave his
time very largely to innocent and
healthful sport and was content to let
his people govern themselves. Had he
tried to reform the old ways of the
court five years ago he might have
lost his crown; now that crown is en-
dangered because he did not impose his
will on his people. Under the law
every prime minister is entitfed to a
pension on retirement and the fire.
quent changes have thrown about one
hundred of these on the treasury; Ger
tain scions Of old families claim intim-
ate association with royalty as a duty;
now the pensions burden the people
and it is charged that the king is
surrounded by privileged body that
isolates him from the people
In the days of his immediate prede-
cessors the officers of the army issued
addresses to the throne under which
ministers were appointed and policies
directed; reaction from such condi-
tiors followed and business began to
prosper. A neutral Spain grew rich
while her British, French and German
rivals in business were absorbed in
war, but German intrigues disturbed
the situation and the officers of the
army have just addressed an ultimatum
to the throne which resulted in a.
change of ministry and threatens to-
end in revolution.
Our old friend Weyler is at the
head of the agitators. He is a native
of the island of Marjorca and his faith
er is German; he has never dis
guised his German sympathies and now
loudly accuses the king and queen of
British leanings! When all the de-
mands of the army were granted the
army straightway escaped control;
with the revival of the pronunciamen-
tors order will cease and industrial
Spain will lose the power to protect
herself. Now Alfonso is both man
and soldier; he will mot tamely get
out of the way as did Manuel of Por-
tugal and Nicholas of Russia and Con-
stantine of Greece; he has said he
would be president of a Spanish re-
public just as he was loyal constitu-
tional monarch. Such man will not
endure the exactions of a clique of
army officers bossed by Valeriano
Weyler and the issue of these troubles
may determine the position of Spain in
the world struggle now raging.
Industrial Spain may desire re-
public, but the commercial interests
would be- blind indeed if they acted as
a cat's-paw to the Weyler faction while
such a government as that of AlfonsoI
is set aside. There is a real cause for
discomfort in the burdens imposed byI
the remains of the old regime; the
pensions and the hangers-on of de-
funct system need to be eliminated.
But Alfonso with these relicts is
much better than Weyler and his re-
bellious army, while the ultimate con-
sequence of an alliance with the CEN
Il al i1CS III JlGIl ctppIOuCHliE 1dII
s one that might we'll dismay any
oyal Spaniard with the intelligence to
appreciate conditions as they are in
The Europe of today. Spain has been
notorious for her inordinate capacity
to do the right thing at the wrong
time and the wrong thing at the right
time; she had the opportunity to begin
again after the loss of her colonies and
showed the ability to do well. Let us
hope that she will not now lose all the
results Of later good work by a sudden
lapse into an old path.-Florida Times