Evening star., 1927-05-29
KING OF SPAIN HAS MANIFOLD
PROJECTS TO BETTER COUNTRY
AIfonso's 25th Year on
Throne Finds Him Full
of Activity.
Greatest Aim, He Says, Is to
Bring Foreigners to Appre-
citation of His Nation.
BY CONSTANCE DREXEI..
Correspondent of The Star and the North
American Newspaper Alliance.

| American newspaper AiltaHCe
MADRID. May 2S.-Spain Tuesda!
| celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary
of King Alfonsos reign. On May II
1902. he ascended the throne, a 16
| year-old monarch. In the "a years
since his coronation war has changed
| the map of the world, old govern
ments have disappeared, new ones
created and his own country has, like
| Italy, passed into the hands of a
| dictator.
Under the MISUNDERSTANDING here
| in Madrid it seems impossible to
| speak of it as a dictatorship-Spairl
| is rapidly being EuropeaniZed.
What aspirations has King AL
| fonso at this juncture of events?
How does he accord with the direc.
torate and what is the effect on the
people of Primo de Rivera's regime?
These were questions which de-
manded answers. Having interviewed
King Alphonso before l was reason
ably sure of success on this venture.
arrived in Spain in January direct
from New York on the new Spanish
transatlantic liner Manuel Arnus. The
King agreed to receive me early in
March. So here j am after having
had my audience through, the inter
mediary of the American Ambassador,
Ogden II. Hammond.
Courtesy Is Striking.
1t was like the Kings speed of ac-
ton to fix the audience two days after
my arrival in Madrid. This prompt
ness was fortunate for me. for the
next day his physicians ordered him
to bed and all audiences were sus-
pended.
MY appointment was for O'Clock.
I was ushered into the elevator lead
ing to the Kings apartments and
walked through several richly fur
nishsd salons. The Kings military
aide met me- A door opened and the
King stood there ready to conduct me
to his study. The King was courtesy
and good humor personified. He had
changed from formal afternoon cos
tune worn at q reception in his honor
at the Madrid Stock EXchange-after'
noon London informal dress--a suit
of dark gray mixture, silk shirt with
matching silk collar pinned closely
over a black silk knitted tie.
Except for a hoarseness of the
voice. the King gave no evidence OF
the grippe which was to lay him low
the next day His sturdy appearance
and tall, athletic figure make him
seem younger than his 30 years.
Tells Aspiration.
"If one may put it so bluntly," i
asked, what plans and what aspira-
tions are uppermost in your majesty's s
mind at this moment"
The King answered In perfect
English:
Zone thought is engaging my hopes
x1-s- <.f all ND Se
to show my beloved country to for
eigners that they may come in great
numbers to understand us and to see
for themselves what has been accom-.
plished and what we expect to ac-
complish. I wish them not only to
study our great artistic treasures,
but to know that Spain during the
past few years has become a most
modern country where strangers
will find good railroads, new automo-
bile routes and the finest of hotels.
"And Madrid? What do you
think of Madrid?'' asked the King.
do you know of city in Europe of
its size with more beautiful boule-
wards, parks, new public buildings.
telephones or luxurious hotels?"
I replied that modern progress was
apparent everywhere in Spain.
The room where we were seated
was lined with books and photo
graphs, a big fiat desk in the center
with neat piles of papers and docu-
ments. Dark rich carpets and heavy
draperies at the windows were re-
lieved by bright red Spanish leather
chairs. In one corner was fiat table
with military map of Morocco. In
this room the King receives his minis
ters every day.
King Is Hard Worker.
Although King Alfonso is one of
Europe's leading sportsmen, he works
as hard as the president of any re-
public or the head of a great cor
poration.
/ asked the king: "And what about
the celebration of the twenty-f1fth an.
niversary of your majesty's reign?"
He smiled. II don't want any
celebrations or monuments or pres
ents. / am simple man and prefer
going around the country in comfort
able clothes to being on parade.
1T is my most ardent desire to
have all the money and all the at.
tention diverted to the building of
| the Ciudad Universitaria, the Univer.
sity City, in the outskirts of Ma
drid---''
"Oh, ventured to interrupt, "I read
In the afternoon paper that they had
presented Il donation of $4,000 pesetas
to your majesty during your visit
at the Stock Exchange today -
THAT is true,' the King smiled
| with boyish glee. I've already got
enough to endow five beds, but ]
want 1,400 beds in that hospital. for
the faculties of medicine. pharmacy
| and science are to be among the
most important"
The king suggested funds might be
raised by donations and by a nationa
little as one peseta about 18 cents)
subscription, including amounts of as
| 1t is likely the peoples of Latin Amer
| lea and of Spanish descent in North
| America will collabOrate in this usefu
| memorial and certificates be issued te
| subscribers bearing the royal coat ol
arms and the Kings autograph.
Welcome Foreign Students.
Later ! saw the site proposed fol
| University City. 1t is in a suburb oi
| Madrid on plateau facing the snow
| capped Guadalajara Mountains ant
near the Villa Velasquez, the LeW
/ French institute in Madrid. Dormi
tories for students will 5e built out
| here.
Foreign students. particularly from
Latin America, will be especially wei
| coined, for this whole idea of {. uni
| versity with a brilliant faculty is par
of the kings effort to attract visitor.
to Spain. He hopes for a revival o
the Renaissance, when Spain wa.
looked upon as one Of the great cen
ters of learning and Spanish universi
| ties were meccas for thousands o
students from all parts OF the thei
| known world.
The king is patron Of the art
and sciences. His activities have VOL
him repeated recognition. notably il
France. where he is a member of th'
Academy of Fine Arts. He is frien'
of writers and intellectuals. The edu