Evening star., 1923-09-16
Madrid Stirred by Rumors, But
Remains Outward1y Calm.


BY the Associated Press.
ST. JEAN DE LUZ. France Cnear
tho Spanish frontier). September 15.-
The sudden military revolt which
broke out in Spain Thursday, emanat-
ing primarily from Barcelona and
spreading rapidly to other parts OF
Spain. came as a shock both to gov
erning circles and the ordinary pub
lie.
Early Thursday morning the first
news came to Madrid simply as a
rumor that the military government
was turning out all the civilian off,
cials in Barcelona, putting a mill
tary occupation of the city into ef-
feet and cutting all communications
with Madrid. Owing to the impos-
sibility Of reaching Catalonia by tel
egraph. telephone or radio, confirma-
tion could not be obtained
OmciaI News scanty.
Later in the morning lights were
seen in the premiePs official resi-
dence and 1t was learned that the
MINISTERS then present in Madrid had
gathered in an extra ordinary council
to discuss the situation, but nothing
further could be found out as to what
was occurring, as the note issued by
! the ministers gave but a scant idea
or what really had happened. This
pass over the telegraph wires, which
had been rigidly closed to messages
| throughout the night.
AS the morning advanced the gem
eeral public seeing the fiaring head
vehemently discussing the deyeion-
ments. the Importance of which was
magnifed by the popular Imagination
as the news went from mouth to
mouth. Still nothing coherent was
avaiiabie until noon, when one of the
Leading newspapers issued a special
| edition, which of itself was an ex-
traordtnary event in Spain.
This gave an extract of the officers
! pronunciamento. The streets, how
ever, still presented their arcustomad
/ calm. while the soldiers, who usually
are numerous about the city, seemed
to disappear as if by magic, having
: received orders confining them, to
f.; their barracks where they remained
officers without even the slightest
inkling Of what had occurred.
Hear Alba Resigned.
! Although it was known about the
| city that the military had obtained
the upper hand all indications of
!; their exercise of power were lack
| ing, the public edifices remaining
1 under the guard of the ordinarY
police and civil guards who, however
seemed to have been reinforced
I somewhat.
Reports regarding the attitude of
the cabinet members spread about
| the city, and 1T was learned from a
+, semi official source that Santiago
/ Alba, the minister of foreign af
! fairs. had resigned his post, his resig-
] nation being followed closely by that
of Minister of Labor Arminan.
! The whole military uprising ap-
/ peared at this time to be directed
/ against Alba, who had reused the ire
of the entire corps of officers by his
| pacifist tendencies. Most of the off,
Ger group had evidently determined
not to rest until the pacifist element
! had been eliminated from govern
! mental circles, and some idea pre-
vailed that Minister Alba was likely
| to become the victim of the anger
of the officers, who blame him and
| his supporters for the punishment OF
f: the officers responsible for the dis
Rster at Melilla, while the civilians
/ In the case remained unscatched. .
! This civilian element is regarded
] by the officers and many other
Spaniards as equally responsible, ow-
| ing to the lack of efficiency in or
gantzation which had resulted in the
army being in state of unreadiness
/ when called upon to perform some
real work.