Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-10

royal succession. In Spain, as in Italy
| the monarchy has suffered an equiva-
! lent drop in prestige, which. 1t Is true
may be but transitory. Yet the last
| Is years il Europe have demonstrated
/ strikingly that 1.-The heads which wear
crowns" in the twentieth century have
| greater reason to rest uneasy than ever
/ before. And the power and prerogatives
which Kings relinquish today they find
vastly more difficult to retrieve in full
King in Delicate Position.
Thus 1t happens that in Spain the
question of duration of the dynasty is
closely associated with the Rivera die
tatorship, and King Alfonso cannot af-
ford to follow Primo either too far or
too unquestioningly. In fact the Kings
position today is almost unanimously
regarded as a most delicate one. He is
democratic and generous. He is whole
hea-teciy devoted to the welfare Of his
people, but in spite OF these things he
has allowed the dictator complete and
unbroken control of the government for
five and one-half years.
Because of the primary role which
Primo has played and the markedly
secondary one which Alfonso has sub
mitted to, it is admitted by many we'll
informed persons here that the King
has lost considerable prestige. Some
even say were it not for the great per-
sonal sympathy which the people have
always had for Alfonso or, rather. which
he has always awakened in the people,
the monarchy might have been en-
dangered before this.
Since September. 1928 the elements
opposed to the Bourbon dynasty or any
form of monarchy have gradually
-. a;x. Enf Nf thu ItC-
tatorship. associated as the dictatorship
is with the throne. has fostered a
lessened respect for the monarchy. The
Republicans have become more inSistent
in their demands that Spain should fol-
low the example of France and mod
ernie its form of government. The
Galatians in the North have agitated
more and more loudly for autnomy and
even for federalism. The Socialists are
concerned, not with the continuance OF
the kingdom, but with their party's pro-
gram. All these factors have had an
undermining influence, perhaps not yet
powerful but in all cases persistent.
Dilemma Faces Alfonso.
Thus King Alfonso has been faced
with dilemma He was forced at first
to support the dictatorship because the
dictatorship offered SPANS only saliva
ton from chaos and anarchy. Later on
his support was still essential because
the nations split political groups offered
no assurance of an alternative govern
ment which would be strong enough to
endure. And in the last year or more
Alfonso has seen in this very dictator
ship upon which he was compelled TO
lean an agency whichever though 1t
had once saved the throne-was now
As-,,x a-fa %vnfA ifHnt n
pator of royal prestige and power. An
agency which. in the end, might drag
down the monarchy with it if it was al
lowed to go too far. Yet any substantial
substitute In which the King might have
confidence was not and perhaps still is
not in sight
This has besn the political trend in
Spain during the last few years as it is
related to tho monarchy.
Behind thee political causes for con-
Germ over thu Bourbon dynaStys future
are private reasons. far more grave,
which all Europe knows. The tragedy
of the affection in the Spanish royal
family is one which stirS human SYM
rathy everywhere. :. King Alfonso has
four sons, yet it is doubtful whether
the health of a single one Of these
princes will ever permit him to sue
coed to the throne.
Most of Heirs in I'LL Health.
The eldest son, Prince Alfonso. al
ready is the victim of an incurable
hereditary disease of the blood. Prince
Jaime, the second SON, is deaf and al
most dumb The hopes OF the nation
had been forced in turn some years
back to Prince Juan, the third son. but
Prince Juan, now in his teens. appears
doomed to fall victim to the same mall
ady. If this happens there remains
only the youngest. bright-eyed and
vivacious Prince Gonzalo, whose true
health will only be known some years
from now. The King has met this
family tragedy with fortitude and
admirable courage which has long won
him the unstinted admiration of all
the Spanish people and of statesmen
and royal families throughout Europe.
But the problem of royal succession
in Spain remains the same-and I'M