Evening star., 1918-02-02
PORTUGAL REVOLT
MATTER OF GRAFT
Administration Of Senior
Costo Overthrown on Charges
of EmbezzIement.
SOLDIERS FUND INVOLVED
BY HERBERT COREY.


BY HERBERT COREY.
PARIS, January 3.-There was an
other revolution in Portugal the other
day The news did not create half the
interest among the French public as
tho dispatch that a Philadelphia ball
whirler had been sold for $4,000. Por-
tugnese revolutions are quite every
day affairs, but there was something
supernormal and mad about that base
ball transaction to people at war. My
French friends wanted to know all
about base ball and how it was played,
and IL they could go over to America
and get a Job at 1t after the war. 1
hope they are satisfied with the state
ment they extorted from me. 1t was
exclusive. None of the facts have ever
been used before.
Just the same, thai Portuguese revo-
luton is worth looking into. The pre-
revolution situation, in nutshell, Is
that the Portuguese government was
wholly loyal to the allies. 1t sent an
army Of $4,000 Portuguese to FRANCE to
fight. 1t issued statements every little
while. Every now and then some Por-
tuguese grandee would visit France
and be taken around the portion OF the
front which is reserved for such visi-
tors. and given food and drink. and en-
tertained at a palace somewhere. Then
there would be an exchange of compli-
ments.
Account for Silence.
So that there was something odd
about the uninterested manner in
which the news of the Portuguese over
turn was received by the allies. At
first one suspected that the new Portu-
guese administration might not be
wholly loyal to the allied cause. That
would account for the silence. Or it
might be that one loyal president had
merely replaced another loyal presi-
dent. Owing to the cost of white paper
and the shortage of ballot boxes Portu-
gal might have merely substituted q
revolution for the usual form Of a gen.
eral election. found man who had
Just returned from Portugal today, and
questioned him.
Merely a matter of graft; said he.
The out-thrown administration was
one of grafters. The income admin
istration promises to be honest
But as to the relation of Portugal
to the allies?"
cit is not likely that Portugal will
send more troops to. France. That
might provoke real revolution. But
the troops now in France will be prop
erly maintained and there is hope that
Portugal will be honestly governed"
Senior Alfonso Costo is the presi-
dent who has just been thrown out.
Reports have it that Senior Costo did
not watch his co-governors as closely
as might have been desired. The first
patched without any underc1othes.
Money furnished Portugal for the up
keep Of the troops never got as far ~
the army. The graft percentage on
government contracts rose like a
rocket.
Five Per Cent to Man.
I'VE have always paid per cent
to the man who got a government
contract. for u.s. said the man who
had returned .:Eut the Cosso govern
ment- erobbed =us. Nothing .less than
10 PERI cent was accepted. and even
then they were not grateful"
After Senior .Costo had been elected
from the presidency the home OF a
prominent member of the recent gov
ernment was searched. 1t was found
a11ed with objects of art stolen from
the, royal palace. A jeweled sword
which the Shah of Persia had gwen to
the late King Carlos was found on
his mantelpiece. Vases and jeweIry
and medals iand other knickknicks
were scattered about the. place.
SSAkaOE SoStO 8 iASt fSW Gays IN OF.
nee cannot be described as happy.
He was in constant fear OF assassina-
tfon. One day an electric light bulb
fell on the pavement. just in front of
his automobile. He thought it was
bomb. and took high dive out of
the car Not being a skilled acrobat
he alghted on his face. and for some
days that member was practically
anusable. But he showed his extraor-
dinary originality by the manner in
which he submitted to arrest
He knew the reyolutionists wouId
come for him on certain night" said
the man who had just returned, land 20
he went home and locked himself in the
cage OF the electric elevator There he
stayed. Shortly after midnight the revo-
iunontafs came and Senior Costo began
70 travel When they came up stairs he
ran the elevator down and vice yersa-
meanwhile squeaking In q highly aei-
lated manner. Some Of those who were
tnere toad me 1t was a. most undignlfed
sight Costo lacked q great deal Of calm"
Cut the Current.
Finally they cut the current and than
brought . ladder and broke open the
fancy gr1nwork Of the elevator cage and
withdrew Senior Costo. Owing to the
height Of the elevator above the floor on
which the revolutionists were at work
they had to get him first by the legs and
extrteate him cork fashion. Senior Costo
said some Of the best things of the even
ing during this process. He was not hurt,
however.
Sldino Paes is the man who put the
revolution through. almost unaided, He
Is considered one of the strongest men
IN Portugal. ard is, pro-aIly but pro.
PORTUGAL even more. He will do eyery-
thing in his power to aid the allies.
but it is understood that he believes
that Portugal has suffered SO greatly
that she must first consider her own
situation. There is no coal in Portugal
now. so that the railway engines burn
wood. and there is little food. The
economic situation is very serious Paes
won the leaders of the army and navy
to his side. SO that the government was
hardly able to offer resistance Oporto
and Lisbon were very slightly bonn
barded and then the few troops who
remained loyal to the Costo government
surrendered.
II believe that there is absolute de-
votion to the republican principle in
Portugal" said my informant, "and
that the country is wholly loyal to the
allies. But the poverty is such that
Portugal will be quite unable to In
crease her efforts of the past"
SAVING ART FROM HUNS.
Prof. Clark Tells How. Italy Is Pro-