Evening star., 1923-09-23
RIVERA'S COUP MAY SAVE q
SPANS GROWING BUSINESS
Increasing Prosperity of Nation Has Been,
Menaced by Corrupt Government
and Obnoxious Taxation.

| ian pensions. He found that there
| listers, some OF whom had only heldl
| Office for a few days. and some even
Tor few hours, figuring on the books
| of the tBeasury as recipients of con-
, siderable life annuities.
| Not content with this, the new die
! tator has insisted upon the whole
! sale dismissal of thousands of SUI
perfuous civilian government Off
| their respective Offices only for the
/ purpose of drawing their pay. Their
places are to be taken by military
| officers. content with their military
| their posts will depend upon their
! efficiency.
Prejudice I'm America.
| Here in America there is pro-
nounced prejudice against dictator
ships. They are unnecessary In the
United States, where the people are
accustomed to legislative govern
ment. But parliamentary govern
! ment has been a distinct failure in
most of the Latin countries in mo-
| ments of crises. The constitution of
! that republic of Rome. which may
| be regarded as the mother of all re-
| publics. provided for the establish
/ ment of dietatorate whenever any
peril to the nation rendered such
measure advisable.
campaign africa.
IT is difficult to say as yet.
whether Dictator Primo di Rivera
is wise in his decision to pour re-
Inducements in Morocco, regardless
of the cost, in order to bring tho !.
campaign there to a victorious con-
clusion. On the one hand, a with
drawal of Spain from what remains
of her colonial empire would be deep
ly humiliating; on the other, much
of the popular dissatisfaction with
the late liberal government. as also
with its conservative predecessors.
has been due 10 the wasted Spanish
treasure and life in what can never 2,
within the next hundred years prove
a remunerative enterprise.
Rivera has announced his intention
of maintaining law at home, in theNs
absence of the military, by force
similar to that of the fascist in
Italy, composed of civilians who bear
the name of Somaten. These sprung 70
into existence in Catalonia, two or
three years ago, as a sort of VOL
unteer protective association against
the communist and anarchist activi
ties in promoting strikes They are
recruited from every class of society.
They are divided. almost like g.
! militia army, into divisions, brigades.
regiments, battalions companies and
squads, not for purposes of offence. z
not for purposes of mere strike
breaking, but in order to assume
/ charge of the public utilities and I
| services when the latter are sus.tp
pended in consequence of the refusal
Of the regular employees to fulfil
| their duties. =
If the street car conductors and !.
{ motormen strike their places are inn
| mediately taken by that particular
| brigade of somatens who are quail
| fed for this sort of work. and traffic
| continues as usual. If the men who
i have charge of the various electrie1i
/ services of the city abandon their
| posts, at once the electric regiment
| Eurries to the scene.
Friends of King.
One word in conclusion. The as-s
soc1ates OF the dictator Primo di Ri
| vera, now in his seventeen year, all
| belong to the younger generation OF
generals. most of them personal
| friends of King Alfonso. ea-
| The coup d'etat has the full ap-
| proval of Marshal Weyler, Marquis OF
Teneriffe and Duke of Rubo, now APP
! preaching his ninetfeth year and still
full of physical and mental vigor. 1t
is known that ex-Premier Count
of Tovar. as well as the Duke OF
| Almodovar, two of whom were mem
| bers of the cabinet which has justs
i been driven out of office by the recent
| pronunCiamento, are in sympathy with
| it's aims. if not its methods. None
| have been more convinced of the irg-
ent necessity of reforms of the most
| rddlcal nature In the administration p
of all branches of the government
than Count Romanones and the two~.
dukes just mentioned. They share =
| the views of their sovereign. with
whom they have been on terms OF o
| intimacy since his boyhood. Butt
like him. they found insuperab1e OBJ
stacles in the form of professional
politicians and greedy Office holders
in short, of a perfectly hopeless sys-
tenn of corruption. inefliciency and :
so-called vested interests" Count
Romanones, member of the OH
Grandezza. is enormously wealthy,
dislikes bull fighting, is passionatelE
fond of horses and racing. has done
everything in his power to encourage 4:
the development OF polo, tennis, golf. s
and especially foot ball; had the fin-
est stable in the peninsula and is the
founder and financial hacker of the
Boy Scouts of Spain. of which there
are no less than 10000 in Madrid
alone. being garbed just like theii'
comrades in the United States andks
Great Britain. 1t is a movement
which engenders disregard of all
class distinction. Thus. in the Ma
drid Corps, the eX-premier's nephew
son of the Duke of Toyar. finds him
self under the orders of the principal
hall porter of the grand old Tovafl1
palace on the Gale Monte Esquinza5s