Evening star., 1923-12-05
SPA|N'S MUSS0L|N|
VICTOR OVER FLIES
Revolt Chieftain Achieves
Reform in Meat-Wrapping
at Markets.
Correspondence OF The Star and Chicago Daily

Correspondence Of The Star and Chicago Daily
News.
MADRID, Spain. November C.
FIFTY days after the resounding MILL
tary revolution" mostly accom-
plIshed over the telephone and abso-
lutely bloodless, one of the most ap-
parent changes in the life of Spain
Is that at the market stalls meat is
no longer handed into the cooks
basket wrapped in a bit of news
paper. Also fruit is covered with
muslin.
Thus printers ink is eliminated
from ones beefsteak and the flies
are kept from the fruit These seem
small things, but newspapers have
been so used in Spain since they were
Invented and the flies prequisities
date back beyond the invasions of the
Moors Such ancient customs die
hard in CASTLE.
Big reforms are still on the way
They have been resolutely begun.
Nobody misses the dissolved parlia-
ment, seeing that under the old
regime the hall of representatives
often remained shut for months.
Liberty Is Restricted.
The constitutional guarantees (that
is, all personal liberties) are sus-
pended and martial law prevails, but
the guaranties-to recall only one
occasion-were suspended in the
spring of 1919 by liberal cabinet
and remained so until the summer of
1922 when they We're re-established
Spain. therefore, is quite accus-
toned to measures which in other
nations would hardly fail to rouse
the opposition of the citizens jealous
of their rights.
The truth is that the Spanish people.
accustomed for so long to live their
own lives in town and province with in
vincible imperturbability, submitting TO
the dictates of the central administra-
ton never very effective-or very op-
pressive-now regard with some dis
trust and considerable doubt the new
directory and are uncertain as to how
its dictates may affect them.
They remain like spectators at a bull
fight, who at each good stroke on the
part of the torero shout Int aGi'irraTine rlaijze
that the conduct of the game is their
business as well.
Reforms are Forced.
Thus one is assisting at the pres
ent moment at the eXtraoruihaiy
spectacle of q people being reformed
in spite OF themselves. \ general
whose career has been brilliant but
has brought him into closer touch
with court circles than with the peo-
pie. a marquis. a native or JereZ' WIN
the sparkling intelligence and ready
flowing speech of the Andalusian. sits
in his cabinet in Madrid and from be
hind his gold-rimmed pince-nez DIG
tates DEGREES which the king docilelS
signs.
consultation with nine well inten-
toned but irrC sponsible generals,
Even Mussolini faced parliament nut
by Gen. Primo de Rivera, Marquis
Ictpl1p tho PnrtpS was Simply KICK
ed out.
Surely there has rarely been more
extraordinary Legislative machine
functioning amidst q free and inde-
tion with the masses. There Is no
communication with them except
through a strictly censored press.
Now and again the directory con-
rratulates itself in note on the
many testimonies OF adhesion It is
receiving from important groups.
but who these supporters are has not
yet become apparent
Blow Own Trumaets.
This mild blowing of the trumpet
is comprehensive ana perhaps even
necessary. for the directory, or rather
the dictator, has not yet taken con-
tact with the nation. Marquis i1ste!ia
seized power unopDoSed, nor mas ne
met with any organized opposition
since. He has thus been free to sit
down and dispose Of the full eXecu-
tive OF the state and he has done 50
thus far chiefly on his own interpre-
tation of what the people needed and
wanted.
In many minor things undoubtedly
he has been successful in striking
the right note and has corrected many
abuses, but the moment seems at
hand when he would be we'll advised
TO get into closer touch with the
people and bring the directory more
personally into the public eye, which
Is the way to the heart.
Like all paths of virtue, the road
of reform along which the directory
has undertaken to drive the nation
must prove thorny and uphill. 1t
does not seem possible that Marquis
Estella, can attract popular support
can create, in a wore. the compelling
force of public opinion that would
give driving force and assure perma-
nence to his work without more
direct and democratic form of ap-
peal than can be made by merely
publishing program or issuing.
from behind closed doors, warnings
and threats such as the following:
Warnings are Issued.
October is. We notify political
oligarchies that our persecution of
them has not ceased.
Should the directory not be able
to realize its labors it will certainly
not be the old political system that
will succeed us. Rather will trouble
SuperVene.
Such mere announcements do not
seem of much practical utility, so, as
Marquis Estella has solicited sugges-
tions from all quarters. one might
without desiring to appear imperti-
nent-make bold to recommend to
Thin a lecture tour and a personal
campaign. 1t would be striking
novelty in Spain; should prove no
great strain on his ready oratory. sus-
tanned by ardent patriotism, and for
the first time would bring the chief
of the government into contact with
the people, a striking contrast to the
late method of sending delegates into
the provinces tol coerce opinion.
The result of fifty days of feverish
Office work on the part of the direc-
tory may be summed up as follows:
Within a week of its creation the di-
rectory had dissolved parliament, pro-
hibited separatfst manifestations (this
to forestall possible disturbances in
Catalonia and Biscay) and commenced
the reorganization of ministerial de-
partments by the dismissal of alb
sentee employees and the institution