Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-19
BY ROBERT w. POTTER.

~ RIMO DE RIVERA, dictator of
- Spain since September, 1928,
may keep his latest promise to
i resign and quit in six months,
but If he does 1t will not in
evitably mean the end of the die
tatorship.
For Primo de Rivera is not the real
dictator; he is not the Mussolini Of
Spain.
King Alfonso XIII-he of the polo
field and the Deauville Casino-is the
active and absolute ruler of his country
and Rivera is only his willing tool
Through the famous coup d'etat
Alfonso changed his status of consti-
tutional King to that of an absolute
monarch and so determined is he to
continue as an all-powerful king that
the present form of government will
change only when the people of Spain
revolt and set up republic.
View of Liberals.
This unusual Interpretation of the
political situation in Spain is the view
held by the Liberals, who make up the
largest faction opposing the dictator
ship, declares Luis Oteyza, Liberal,
writer deputy in the suspended Parlia-
ment and former editor-in-chief of
Libertad, Madrid newspaper, who now
Is a V1SlUOr IN new 4Ork.
The revolution that will free Spain
of the hated dictatorial rule may come
in few weeks or not in many years,
Mr.. Oteyza said in a recent interview.
A widespread fear among the populace
that republic means a bloody and
murderous government, such as fol-
lowed the French Revolution, is the
chief obstacle holding back the uprising
that will end the dictatorship and the
monarchy, this Liberal believes. At
present opposition to the government is
in an anenic state, stifled by strict
censorship.
DO you think Rivera will resign in
June, as he announced recently?"
Recalls Other Promises.
The question brought an expressive
shrug of the shoulders from Mr.. Oteyza,
a suave man of the world.
Lets go back to the first promise"
said he. The day that Primo de Rivera
sprang his coup d'etat, September IS,
1928, he convoked the 81 chief editors
Of Madrid, including Andre Saborit,
editor of the Socialista, and myself,
chief editor of Las Libertad, both depu-
ties in the Cortes.
Primo explained to us then that his
term was to be like a 90-day letter to
be discounted by the country and that
it would not be renewed or extended
He was doing it to restore the prestige
Of Spain, he said.
six years and four months later he
asks for-or rather says he will take
another six months. And during that
period there were other designations
Why take him seriously now?
"One year ago Primo spoke of for
mulating new constitution to sup
plant the one under suspension, and
has only put 1t OF. Every day he has
something new to say or promise. His
latest scheme, approved by the King,
calls for the election of IS per cent of
municipal councils and provincial dep
utations and leaves the other rs per
cent definitely in his control. can
not take such things seriously"
An Echo Of the King.
But Premier Rivera is only the echo
of King Alfonso. 1t is the King who
is responsible for the political situa-
ton and financial conditions in Spain.
With the King lies the blame for the
peseta falling to 12.5 and Is cents. the
lowest levels since the colonial disas-
tiers in 1898, Mr.. Oteyza asserted.
This is not a matter of opinion, but
can be demonstrated by facts" the
Liberal said. 1.-The King has shown his
way of ruling since the day he came
of age and assembled the throne.
THE popular conception of Alfonso
outside of Spain as King bored with
his duties and wanting only to gamble
at the great casinos and indulge in
sports is erroneous.
Ever since he became King Alfonso's
chief sport, his main indulgence, his
sole business, has been to mix legally
and illegally in politics.
I'm the Philippines Maj. Gen. Leon
ard Wood demonstrated to me: But
the King is really good boy And
said: Yes, he has as much goodness
as boyishness, and he is Al years old
Has Great Ambition.
1.-THE Kings ambition is to be abso-
lutte. There is an old saying that the
constitutional monarch reigns, but
never rules. Leopold II Of Belgium
used to say it was easy to reign:
Each morning the prime minister
comes in and ask him: Have you a
majority?" If he says Yes" then I
go for walk. If he says NO" he is
the one who goes for a walk
When Alfonso took the throne in
1902 there we're two strong constitu-
tional parties, the Liberal and the Con-
sentative. The Liberal leader, Praxedes
Mateo Sagasta, died in 1908 and the
King proceeded to split UP that party
by making seven different leaders in
the party premier. BY the same
methods he weakened the Conservatives
He thrust aside Antonio Maura, a
strong leader who opposed him, and