Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-16
Sanchez Guerra, Leader of
Revolt in 1923, Chosen
to Form Cabinet.
CONFERENCES STARTED,
WITH SUCCESS FORECAST
Cabinet Head Favors Convention to
Decide Whether Spain Shall
Become Republic.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
MADRID, February licking Alfonso
taking bold step which may cost him
much of his kingly power today desig-
mated Jose Antonio Sanchez Guerra,
leader of the movement for a consti-
tutional convention to determine
whether Spain shall remain monarchy
or become a republic, to form a new
cabinet.
Sanchez Guerra, leader OF a Left Wing
Conservative group, which probably is
the strongest party in Spain, called at
the palace before noon and after a
two-hour conference with the King
announced he would attempt to get
together a cabinet to replace that of
Premier Berenguer, which resigned Sat-
urday.
He said he would begin conferences
Immediately with other politicians and
return to the palace at 6 pm. today
to let the King know what success he
had had. 1t was believed he would be
successful.
While Sanchez Guerra. leaving the
palace, did not state upon what grounds
he and the King had come to terms,
since Berenguer'S resignation Saturday
he has declared that the only solution
for the present crisis is immediate con-
vocation of a constitutional convention
to write a new Spanish constitution.
Long in Public Eye.
This convention would exercise power
above even that of the King. The King
would have no power to adjourn it once
it was convened, and in view of growing
Left Wing and republican sentiment in
Spain a curtailment of his present
broad powers might be expected
The new premier designate has been
in the public eye in Spain since the
early part of the century. He headed
Liberal cabinet as early as 1915. After
it fell he became minister of interior
and later president of the Chamber of
Deputies He was premier again in 1922,
and in the following year was expelled
from Spain for his enmity to the Primo
de Rivera regime.
In public writings and utteranceS
thereafter he charged King Alfonso
with having violated the Spanish con-
stitution in permitting the Primo de
Rivera dictatorship, and therefore to be
ruling illegally. He was arrested at
Valencia ON January 30, 1929, after an
against the dictatorship which failed
when troops counted upon to back the
revolt did not carry out their part.
He was imprisoned aboard a warship
in Valencia Harber, and in October,
1880, was tried for sedition before a
court-martial. The trial was secret and
the courts findings were kept secret,
but it was reported he was found not
guilty. The dictatorship refused to &C
cept the findings and continued to hold
him.
Complete Amnesty Arranged.
After the dictatorship fell, Gen. Da-
maso Berenguer becoming premier ar
ranged a complete amnesty from the
King. He was set free and Immediately
promised pronunciation of SPANS
political situation.
Several thousand persons gathered at
Madrid theater to hear this pro-
nouncement February q of last year
While he did not state that he wished
a republic, there were broad hints that
this was the case, and he recognized the
right of the country to declare a re-
public if it wished
The crowd cheered him, shouting
Long live the republic" Death to
the King" and Death to the dictator
ship" Airplanes dropped leaflets with
republican propaganda over the city at
the time. Mounted police finally used
their swords to diSperSe the crowd
which became unruly, and the former
premier thereafter was denied the right
to make public address in the capital
Recently he has headed the Con
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