Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-16
FREEDOM FETE
Is Gel EDRATED
BY PORTUGAL
Anniversary of Liberation
From Spain Passes With
out Disorders.
CLOSE AS NEIGHBoR


CLOSE AS NEIGHBOR
LISBON, Portugal, Jan. 16-This coun-
try, republican. and at present as much
Hispanophile as discretiun~ and dignity
will permit, found itself in a situation
of some little doubt at the beginning Of
December. 1t happens, as the world in
general may not be aware-since the
Portuguese conduct these national do
nestle affairs with some sort of reserve
that the first of the month is nominally
the great Liberation day of the nation.
1t is the day devoted to honoring the
'restorers," and on that day all Lisbon
and as much Of the rest Of Portugal as
.CaR manage it, gives itself a holiday and
shdeavors in every way, or is supposed
to do so, to live up to the idea Of honor
ing the realization of a great emaneipa-
ton.
There have been days not far distant
when this festival considered as the chief
day of its kind in the year, would have
been signaled with much rejoicing, even
though many of the rejoicers, as in in
evitably the case on such occasions, were
unaware Of the significance of the com
memoration.
CONFLICT OF EMOTIONS
BECOMES MANIFEST.
But on this last time there was q con-
nict of emotions among those who really
thought upon the affairs of history and
their bearing upon the present, and there
was hesitation in giving any plain and
direct stimulus to the proceedings. The
president of the republic himself, indeed,
probably did a, wise thing in choosing
this moment for practically the first great
visit in his presidential capacity to an
other chief city of the republic, namely
Coimbra, where there We're retoicings
which, in the circumstances, were not
associated with the festival day.
The simple truth is that the day was
that devoted officially and otherwise to
the celebration of the deliverance Of Por-
tugal from the yoke OF Spain in 1910.
For some sixty years Portugal, in the
language of the historians and PATRIOTS
had suffered slavery under Spain; at
the time indicated she set herself free
again, and has been free ever since.
The precise date of the contamination of
the deliverance is that represented by
this festival. Six years ago the national
feeling, artificial and otherwise, accord
ing TO the intelligence and education of
the subject, was tolerably strong. Years
OF practice in the celebration makes ex-
perts in fervency; besides which it was
the fact that Portugal was certainly not
envying Spain in any way. The Portu-
eRuese financial position was as good as
was to be expected nthe case of a coun-
! try that had not long before been bank
fupt, and was still in the throes OF transit
lion from monarchy to republican ism.
But she was at Least as good as Spain,
and in many respects, size for size.
might have been held in much higher
esteem. Politically, she considered that
she had made an advance over the sister
nation, whilst milreis and escudos were
as good as pesetas.
MINT HAVE BEEN
BETTER THAN SPAIN.
The case now, however, is not quite the
same In the first place, it is remembered
by those who have considered the his
torical points, that this celebration is in
directly a matter of honoring the Bra
canza line Of monarchs, and with a de-
throned Braganza still a candidate for
the kingship of a country that is now
republican, but has not yet established
its republicanism on the frmest founda-
lions, there is something OF an anomaly
here.
Perhaps the monarchical aspect Of the
uuestiop does not matter at this stage OF
vproceedings The new Bragan2a
held his country free from the
Danish touch, but Portugal never rose
V gain to the heights she had previously
Achieved. AS to the question of deliver
Ence from this yoke; the ruling consider
htion at the present moment is that, as
livery one in Portugal knows and appre
Hates, Spain is now comparatively enor-
hously prosperous, and she suffers from
Few of those postwar disabilities VITA
(which Portugal is heavily burdened.
Nan ACCOUNTING FOR
aSHYNESS OF NATION.
IA 1t generally happens that when one
nation, at something of a worldly disad-
skantage, thus makes overtures-quite I'M
officially be 1t insisted again-to another
Nhat is by no means at any such disad
Tvantage-the latter is a little shy, as Is
|the manner of the world. Spain might
! have been expected to be little shy
now in her prosperity, but as it hap
pens this is not at all the case. She,
unOficially, responds with alacrity. Tie
freedom of the response, indeed, has
tendency to awaken a little suspicion
among a people that is.by no means in
disposed to be suspicious
The Spaniards show their willingness
for closer relations in many ways ant
some of the manifestations have been
striking. Thus, on the very eve Of the
December celebrations, the Figaro, the
enterprising weekly illustrated periodi.
cal of Madrid, produced a large and re-
ally handsome and well-edlted illustrated
supplement Dedicated to Portugal"
with n "Saludo al Pueblo Lusitano.'
Tull of good articles, interviews, sta
tistics, and all the rest, this was by far
ihe best thing Of its kind ever done in
Portugal or Spain. 1t was not only cir
Fulated extensively through the shops
End other places IN Portugal, but the
supplement, without the rest of the num-
Der, was distributed in considerable
quantities in the leading hotels and
some other public places. A people even
less suspicious than the Portuguese
might have wondered If some other than
he Figaro alone had been concerned in
his prodiga1 distribution of Hispano-
Portuguese conjunction propaganda, for
that is what 1t amounted 20.