The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-28
BY WILLIAM III. LANDER
United Press staff Correspondent

MADRID, Jan. 23.-Genera1
Miguel Primo de Rivera Y Orbaneja,
Marques de Estella, who resigned to-
day, presented during his dictator
ship the vitality interesting problem
= of whether political freedom or
material welfare is more dear to the
people of any nation.
Spain. which he ruled as dictator
for six and one-hah years, Sept. IS,
1923, to Jan. 8, 1880, was torn by
internal disSension and foreign wars
when he dramatically stepped into
the breach and took upon his Shout
ders the rule of the country.
Two major difficulties faced the
old regime:
First, a costly war in Morocco
against the Moors, who had rebelled
against the implantation of Span
tsh protectorate.
Second. social disorders in many
parts of Spain, reaching a climax in
the Barcelona region.
Took Matters Into Own Hands
Primo De Rivera was captain
general of the barcelona district at
the time. He surveyed the situation
and found it bad. He decided with
characteristic, almost Napoleonic,
directnesS, to take things into his
own hands.
To his mind. and perhaps rightly,
=. the country needed an iron rule
(which might prescribe individual
liberty in some ways for a while,
but which certainly, he reasoned,
would bring the people to a happier
life.
De Rivera's iron hand quickly
stopped the domestic troubles, but
it was not until two years later that
the Morocco campaign succeeded
and the Riff leader, Add FL Krim,
was defeated with the aid of the
French.
After two years of a military
dictatorship. De Rivera established
a civil dictatorship in Dec. 1925, and
proceeded with domestic political
reforms.
The dictatorship had numerous
features which gave it a flavor all
its own. For one thing. from its in
ception, De Rivera considered it as
transitory.
Set Early Time Limit
When he came from Barcelona
to Madrid to from a government at
King AlfonSo's invitation after the
Liberal ministry of Garcia Prieto
had resigned, he announced his
task was one of fortnight, or at
the most, month.
Three months was the time limit
later set, but since 1927 the date
most frequently mentioned for the
end was 1890. It was prophetically
true.
There is no analogy between the
De Rivera dictatorship and that OF
Benito MusSolini in Italy. Rather,
the two may be contraSted, rather
than compared.
One of De Rivera'S pet formulas
for the solution of the quasi-impos-
sible problem or terminating die
tatorShip was for 1t to evolve a new
type of government to succeed it
"a government so conceived that,
as he said, any citizen would run
it." That he was not able to do,
and since last October he had
ceased trying 10 set a time limit on
his regime.
De Rivera went into 1880. how
ever, with en- apparent feeling of
certainty he could not continue
much longer. PeSSiSmiSm marked
his attitude toward the future. and
he again set limit on his rule
six months. He intended to retire
next June.
Shortly after the first Of the year
he issued statement admitting the
dictatorship can not be eternal and
If I succeed in forming a govern
inent of order that will not jeopar-
lie its magnificent work, I will re-
sign"
There Is something pathetic In
the picture Of this fighter giving
way before the pressure of political
adversely ut q time when theer is
no question he feels the work he
started a half-dozen years ago has
not been completed.