Evening star., 1927-05-29

nounced officially as October, 1928.
The king expressed his great salts
| faction that the United States Gov.
ernment is to participate in this ex-
position. Congress has appropriated
the sum of 100000. and the commits
sioners named by President Coolidge
will soon make preliminary VISIT to
| Seville.
Steamship Project.
Still another project absorbing the
Kings attention is the development of
the Spanish steamship line to New
| York. Havana and South American
ports. lie hopes to make the voyage
| himself in the near future, but nothing
| is fixed as yet.
We have several new ships already
in service, which | have visited" he
said. but we are building some other
/ transatlantic ships of twenty-five and
thirty thousand tons, which in speed
and comfort will be able to compete
| with any in the world.
I'VE shall have frequent services
| from New York direct to Spanish
ports. Then it will be possible for
your countrymen who have only three
| or four weeks at their disposal to
spend a few agreeable days each way
| at sea and fortnight in Spain, or
other parts of Europe"
From the ensuing conversation It
was obvious that the King is pleased
with domestic affairs under the direc.
ton of the present government. He
praised Gen. Primo de Rivera warmly.
Toward the close of the audience I
asked the King for a message on the
occasion Of his % years. reign. He
said:
1T is with deep satisfaction and
gratitude that / note the progress
made in my country during my reign.
and during the past few years in par
ticular. This is but the beginning of
what we expect to accomplish in the
future. 1t is my hope that Spain shall
occupy her traditional rightful place
of leadership among civilized nations,
and my dearest wish that may con-
tinue work to the limit of my capacity
and in whatever direction seems best
for the interest and welfare of my be.
loved people"
Spirit Of Camaraderie.
In Spain. where the fashionable din.
ner hour is 10 O'clock. o'clock is still
afternoon. The Kings private secre.
tary. the Marquis de Torres de Men
doza, and some of his staff were Still
III their offices on the top floor of the
palace. In other royal palaces such
offices are always in separate build.
ings. Under King Alfonso and Queen
Victoria no royal palace is so open to
the public as the Spanish royal palace.
a contrast to the Spanish kings of his.
tory. who held themselves aloof in the
tomblike monastery of the Escurial.
There is delightful camaraderie and
frankness surrounding the Spanish
| r0EaI ND fn,J
with the royal house.
The royal palace, huge structure
of several hundred rooms, occupies q
plateau dominating the city. To visit
the throne room, the banquet halls
the picture galleries and the chapel,
cards may be procured free of charge.
Here it is that the traditional cere-
monies of the Spanish court take
place, handed down from centuries.
than which there is no more magnifi-
cent in all Europe.
After the interview I picked my
way unaccompanied to the offices of
the Kings secretariat. There
learned that the King rises early. has
his breakfast served in his private
apartment about 8 o'clock, during
which the royal .children--the four
princes and the two princesses dnfan-
tes and infantas, as they are known
in Spain)-see their father. Their pro-
gram for the day is discussed, their
lessons, their sports. If they have any
little troubles, they tell them to their
father. If the weather is fine. they
all go out on the terrace for boxing
bout or wrestling match.
At 10 o'clock the King receives Gen.
Primo de Rivera. At IL o'clock the
King receives his other cabinet minis.
tarc in rotation fvvn n dav
On Monday, the minister of state
and the minister of justice; on Tues
| day, the minister of war and the min
| lister of marine; Wednesday, the minis
| ter of finance and the minister of inte.
rior; Thursday, usually council of min
listers at the palace; Friday. minister
Of public works, minister of public in
struction and minister of labor. All
the laws in Spain are made operative
ment at present.
| Many Engagements.
| At 12 o'clock on Mondays, Wednes-
days and Fridays begin the military
audiences, when the King receives
officers of the army and navy who
ask to see him. On Tuesdays and
| Thursdays are the civil audiences,
when gentlemen of the court, grand
ees of Spain, mayors and councillors
of cities are received. These audiences
last until we'll after 2 o'clock, which is
the luncheon hour in Spain.
| At luncheon with the King and
| Queen are the queen mother, the
Kings aide -de-camp In service and the
| Queens lady-in-waiting. There are
| few afternoons when the King has not
some engagement to attend an open
ing, a reception in his honor or some
public function. When he is free he
is likely to play polo or go shooting or
hunting near Madrid. The King also
is member of many committees and
patron of charities which absorb a
great deal of time.
I encountered Gen. Primo de Rivera
In the hall of my hotel where the
president of the council--as the prime
minister is known-had been the
guest of honor at an American busi-
ness mems luncheon. He does not
look militaristic. He shuns even the
uniform and photographs in uniform.
/ explained to him I was here to
write this article about the ling. He
said he would be delighted to be Of
service. / took him at his word and
asked for an audience. The message
came back the next day, fixing the
time at $50 in his offices at the Min.
istry of War. 1t is brick building
opposite the big. new post Office and
near the Ritz Hotel. An ambassador
from a distant capital was the pre-
vious caller. I waited for some time
In a large, heavily carpeted. draped,
crystal-chandeliered salon with or
nate furniture. medieval paintings
and gilded mirrors. Then I passed
through an ante.room with young
man secretaries and attaches at their
desks, into his office.
He was seated at a desk in a far:
off corner. signing letters. BY this
time it was past 7, and on a Saturday,
but Primo usually works through
until late dinner time. He is a tall,
. heavy man, his hair and mustachA