The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-07
SPAIN MENACED BY
TERRORISM SPREAD
Situation Is Gravely Acute in
Barcelona and i'm
Valencia.

Special Gable Despatch TO THE SuN from the
London Times Serrice
Copyright, 1919. all riahtS rescrred.
MADEIRA, Sept. 6.-The general labor
troubles and a steady increase OF terror
ism in Barcelona and Valencia are Just
now source of great anxiety to the
Government. During the war the neces-
sity of increasing the national output OF
coal resulted in the development of the
coal mining industry to an unprece.
dented degree, From 4.424,439 tons in
1914 production was Increased to 1854.
1853 tons in 1918. Now the reappearance
OF British coal on the market is dlmin-
ishing the demand for Spanish coal
At the present moment there is lying
at the pits on the Asturian coal fields
stock of some 500, 900 tons. The smaller
mines have closed down and out Of some
$4,000 miners employed about 1000 are
out of work. and this number is likely
to Increase. The situation is not an
easy one to remedy. A market could
doubtless be found abroad even for the
inferior coal. but the Government hest
tates to authorize expectation. The
miners demand the naturalization of
the mines and improved transit facill-
ties, which they believe would reduce the
present exorbitant price OF coal and in
sure the sale in Spain of the coal
Mine owners have notified the work
men that from September l gem
eral reduction of one peseta GO Ceu'sl
day will be made in all wages This
announcement has caused great discon'
tent among the miners, who complain
they have had no share in the enormous
profits made during the war and stiH
being made by the owners.
'TerroH icrT1 10 r,,raI,- , F,-
police and unfortunately the police force
OF Barcelona is sadly IN need Of r,oT-
ganization and VIGOROUSLY unable 10
! cope with its task. in numbers II is
| large. for there is the regular force al
the orders of the civil governor, the
Mezos De Escuadra, an ancient organi-
cation maintained by the provincial
| council, and the Somaton or voluntary
| corps of several thousand citizens al
the orders of the Captain General Be-
sides the civil guard, nobody in Bar
| ceiona has a good word to say FOR the
| sixty regular police, and judging by the
result they deserve their reputation toT
| inefficiency. While their want Of colr'
age and zeal in the cause OF JUSTICE
| exists, the terrorism campaign Will ou'
| increase.
The latest development has been the
temperance of bombs upon the scene
some OF which exploded recently, nap,
| PLY without doing much damage. ou,
perhaps the most disgraceful feature ~.
the police arrangements OF Barcelona 70
the Unemployment of a band of conn
dants of the type of the famous terror,
| st Rule. who was condemned In l'pS
and executed In the yard of the nl'u7'
prison. The bravo Portillo, who reap,
| rears to the public gaze as chief o.
band entrusted with firearms by INV
| military authorities of Barcelona, is ln0
same ex-commissary of police OF Bare,
Iona and eX-spy in the employ OF W.
German Embassy who n year ago wa
| charged with treason for having CIV"
| information leading to the torpeuo'"s
OF the Spanish ship Membru II
Bravo Portillo has never been cl'"'sS
( OF the accusation maze Esalns. 80
that time, and his case is one OF ms
which unfortunately cast STAN w.
| Spanish justice.