Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-28
.R|OT|NG SPAN|ARDS
DEMAND REPUBLIC
Martial Law Is Threatened
as Crowds Shout "DoWn
With the King!"
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MADRID, February est was be-
lieved here today that the government
was prepared to proclaim martial
law If necessary to maintain or
der among the elements clamoring for
a republic as q result o. the Sanchez
Guerra speech yesterday
That was the construction placed
upon the following declaration of Gen.
Mario, minister of the interior:
THE government could not have been
more tolerant than 1t has been. am
most panied that that tolerance is being
abused by the elements causing disturb
anceS.
This obliges the government to take
whatever energetic measures are neces-
Sary. Public peace must be preserved.
The government appeals to all reSpon-
Sfble citizens to maintain order, thereby
assisting the government to avoid taking
the measures 1t is thinking of taking"
Metropolitan Spain was swept by a
tide of republicanism and anti-mon-
archial demonstrations after the an
nouncement by Senior Sanchez Guerra,
former premier and bitter enemy of
the late dictatorship, in which he said:
II will never again serve the present
King"
Thousands gathered in the streets of
Madrid last night and fought with police
| who attempted to bring down their red
banners and hush their shouts of Down
with the King and Death to the
King" Ten civilians were arrested and
one man was injured seriously in g
clash outside the theater in which the
former premier's speech was delivered
Gen. Damasco Berenguer, the new
Spanish premier, announced thai
Ill
would be prohibited. Many of the
most prominent leaders of all parties
had been making preparations for pub
| lie announcements. but this decision
apparently ends their plans.
AppIauded ON Appearance.
Senior Sanchez Guerra's speech had
been widely heralded, inasmuch as he
probably is SPANS most venerated
statesman. Republicans believed he
would expouse their cause, giving it a
considerable impetus. The Zarzuela
Theater was packed and 1000 stood
outside. The statesman was applauded
for several minutes when he assembled
the rostrun1.
To the staunchest of the republican
adherents the speech which followed
was a disappointment. The former
premier did not say he hoped for a
republic. He did say that the move
ment for a republic in Spain was
stronger than ever and that the coun-
try soon might adopt that form Of
government.
Students Are Dispersed.
The crowd outside accepted his
speech as q announcement for a re-
public and when he left the building
he was greeted tumultuously.
Mounted police with drawn Sabers
dissolved a crowd Of several hundred
students, who, excited by the speech,
started to parade toward the royal PAL
ace. shouting Down with the mon
archyl Long live the republicl"
Some of the stores on the Gale
Alcala and the Puerto del Sol hurriedly
closed their doors and lowered steel
shutters when they heard the students
approach. Dispersed in one quarter,
the crowd gathered in another, con-
fiicts between the demonstrators and
police following each other until far
into the night.
Senior Sanchez Guerra in his speech
traced events In the monarchy from the
time Of Alfonso KITS death to the
the Queen mother, Maria Cristina, he
said, saved the monarchy with the adj
vent of the child King. Alfonso XIII.
That King. he charged, instead of using
his opportunity to become SPANS
greatest ruler, acquiesced in the Primo
de Rivera dictatorship, to the conse-
quent detriment of Spain.
He demanded that parliament be
restored and fix responsibility for the
recent dictatorship and determine the
form of SPANS future government
all within the law and without violence
or rebellion.
Newspaper Raps Speech.
FL Debate, one of the leading papers
Of Spain and organ of the Catholic
elements, declared editorially today
that FORMER Premier Sanchez Guerra
in his long expected speech and po-
litical announcement yesterday had
had nothing of interest to say.
The paper declared that political
alignments mentioned by Senior San
chez had no value and termed the dis
course at the zarzuela Theater a po-
litical error.