The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-06
SPANISH SECRET. HISTORY
De Rivera Backed @Home Rule0 For
 Catalonia As An Alternative

De Rivera Backed @Home Rule0 For Catalonia As An Alternative
 There seems to be no doubt that Primo de Rivera's revolution in Spair
 was originally his own independent
 idea. He was appalled, by the corrup'
 administration of the country and was resolved to clean it up.
 | But he could not be quite sure O
 the support of the king, sinee in the l last movement of the sort, that
 the military juntas in l9l7-likewise l initiated at Barcelona-the king ha6 l been hostile to 1t and in conjunction with the Conservative minister L. Cierva had very cleverly drawn 1t: 1 teeth. Accordingly. he looked for al formative bases of support in cas, that which he preferred-the suppor; of King Alfonso-failed him. A week or so before the outbreak of the revolution-this is all very secret history-he had a secret con ference with Senor Cambo. the all powerful and real separatist leader although he discreetly calls himself |; regionalist, at Fontromeu in the Pyre- nees and arranged with him that il certain eventualities the whole strength of separatism should be mo
 bilized behind the military movement and that the army In the fourth mili
 
 nomous Catalonia.
 It may be presumed that Genera de Rivera intended to resort to this alternative only If his situation be came desperate; IL would certainl. have meant civil war Then Senoi Cambo went for cruise in his yatc' to Constantinople to await develop ments.
 Actually, the king-on quite anoth CT series of derations-accepted even perhaps welcomed a revolution that relieved him of a very serious danger had the cortes met on Octobe' 1, and the eventuality never arose
 Primo de Rivera, assured of the roya support before he moved, promptly turned and crushed the separatisn
 that might have been his ally. H. incorporated a denunciation of 1t ir his proclamation.
 The executive militant leader of tht separatists. Francisco Macia, a dep. uty In the cortes and an ex-lieu- ducted across the frontier-the man who did It is a personal friend of mine-on the first day of the revolu tion The flying of the Catalan flag
 the publication of Catalan propa- ganda. Catalan separatist demonstra tions or activities of any kind were all summarily suppressed under the seVerest penalties by one of the yer! first of his decrees.
 In so doing he acted on a right in stinct to Identify bimself with the aspirations of the entire country an not with the narrow and disintegra tive dreams of section of 1t. Had he not done so his revolution would have failed of the deep significance which makes 1t symptomatic of {; general movement in the affairs O. Europe, a reawakening of nationa consciousness, a consolidation as op posed to disintegration of nationa strength.
 As far as separatism was concerned therefore, he burned his bridges be- hind him. He has not done so with out risk. True. he has allowed 1t to be understood that he proposes to restore the prohibitive tariff law t. it's pristine severity, which will please the Catalan industries; but if there is any force in this stubborn racial hos tility, which has been a curse to the Spanish government ever since Fer dinand and Isabella, he has earned for himself a deep and bitter hatred not the less formidable because for tn moment 1t Is necessarily silent.-F Brittop Austin in the Saturday Eve ming Post.