Evening star., 1924-02-01
BY THE MARaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.

Young Don Alfonso and Don Rafael
Figueroa, who arrived the other day
in the United States from Madrid and
are staying in New York, pending the
completion of the arrangements for
the elder of the two to connect HIM
self with one of the great concerns of
Wall street in order to learn Ameri-
can methods of business, while the
younger plans to enter Harvard, are
the sons of tho Duke of Tovar, for
mer governor of Madrid, and nephews
of Count Romanones. repeatedly pre-
mier and the acknowledged chieftain
Of the liberal party IN Spain. The
young fellows are heirs to great
wealth and to a number Of ducal and
other titles which will come to them
both from their father and from their
mothers family. and enjoy the par
ticular good will Of King Alfonso,
since their father the duke. and their
uncle Count Romanones. have always
been his most intimate personal
friends.
The Figueroas are very rich, having
long been identified with the tobacco
monopoly. also controlling the lead
ing Spanish steamship lines and to
great extent. domino ting the mining
industries of the kingdom, in the
peninsula itself and in the Spanish
zone Of Morocco. They own most of
the land around Malaga. and Count
Romanones, who, in addition to hav-
minister Of foreign affairs and presi.
dent OF the cortes. owns the princi-
pal racing stable in Spain, which he
inherited from his father. the late
Marquis of Villamajor. and is the
apo q ha nd yx-hi in hsa
try. Indeed, it was while learning
how to drive a four-in-hand as a
mere boy that he upset the coach and
fractured his leg so badly that he
has walked with limp ever since.
x * !; x
He is the leading figure Of the
Spanish turf and, with the co-opera-
tion OF the king, has done everything
in his power to interest his country
men In horse racing as substitute
for the former national sport Of bull
fighting. just In the same way that
Of the two young hidalgos now In
New York, has gone to no end of ex-
pense in fostering foot ball and the
boy scout movement. The latter owes
its inception and growth in Spain
to- the duke. whose sons, now here.
were among the original boy scouts,
among whom they learned the advan-
tages Of democracy, since they found
themselves under the command of one
of the young officers of the organiZa-
of the principal hall porter of their
fathers Madrilene palace in the Gale
Monte Esquinza The duke has also
been extremely generous in furnish
ing the necessary funds for the foun-
dation and initial expenses of the The
are to be found everywhere In the
peninsula and in the contests. of
which the public seems to take much
interest and to develop much more ex-
citement than in the bull fights.
= The Duke OF Tovar's palace at
Madrid Is familiar to every lover of
! art, thanks to its wonderful collection
of old masters. 1t is particularly rich
in the works of Nelasquez. Lopez and
| Goya. Whereas Count Romanones is
an advanced liberal of the most en-
! lightened and progressive order, and
was the principal champion of the
pro-entente policy of Spain during the
| great war, his brother. the Duke of
Tovar, affects socialism. He is the
| author Of a book entitled Social
| Studies" in which he expounds his
| ideas, which are to the effect that the
king is far better qualified to come
l IOt an "iIh tuo SOSihi-
ist party and to fulfill it's aspirations
| than a republic.
| Both the duke and his brother,
| Count Romanones. regard the present
state Of affairs in Spain with mingled
sentiments. For while they admit
that, through the dictatorate of Gen
| Primo de Rivera a number OF sorely
needed reforms have been effected
and poisonous abuses abolished. which
owing to political partisanship, II
would have been impossible to ac-
complish through purely constitu-
tional and legislative methods, they
! hold that now that this very neces-
/ sary and urgent work has been COM
pleted the general and his military
associates should relinauish their abb
solutist rule and permit the restora.
tion of parliamentary government and
| strictly constitutional methods as the
only way Of averting a revolution and
civil war. Indeed, both the count and
the duke have made strong appeals
70 the king about the meter, appeals
which hAye been rsssotsd b5 the gen