The Washington times., 1936-07-20
5-YEAR UNREST
IN SPAIN AT
CLIMAX
By J. C. OESTREICHER
Copyright, 1895. by International
News Service)


NEW YORK, July 20.-Five
years and three months Of tension
and unrest in Spain reached their
climax today as blood ran in the
streets of Andalusia and CASTLE
Civil war gripped the still young
republic from San Sebastian on
the north to the Moroccan protec'
torate in the south, with indica.
tons that before many hours have
passed a military dictatorship, os
tensibly pledged to monarchiSt
ideals, will be in the saddle.
1t is no mere revolt Of political
diSSidentS which has once again
thrown Spain into turmoil. It is
rather the violent manifestation
Of longSmoldering reese n tmeni
against the radical tendencies Of
the governments which one aftah.
the other since April IA. 1881. have
succeeded Alfonso XIII as rulers
of one Of Europe's oldest nations.
Parallel Drawn
Strangely enough, there is a
half-parallel between the revolt
which unSeated the Bourbons
after a thouSand-year rule and
the revolution which now seeks to
dislodge his successors and return
an autocracy to Spain.
The revolt of 1881 was directed
to some extent against Alfonso
personally and was not necessarily
an uprising against monarchism
It was a disastrous campaign in
Morocco which cost the lives of
10000 Spanish soldiers that led
indirectly to Alfonco's undoing.
1t deprived him Of the loyalty and
support of his army and, while
he remained on the throne under
a military dictatorship from 1928
to 1881, this loss Of prestige
among his soldiers resulted eventu-
ally in his dethronement.
But the republican governments
which succeeded Alfonso seem
ingly reckoned without the neceS-
Sity OF army support, by parlia.
mentary maneuverS and with the
use of what their enemies termed
political chichanery, the Rspubli-
cans installed a radical regime
which grew pinker and pinker and
finally deep red as Communistic
principles filtered into the palace
which for centuries housed the
Bourbons.
Spain is today and always has
been q conservative, monarchiStic,
military nation. The rise Of radi-
Cal politicians since 1881 was been
accompanied by growing oppoSi-
ton in the army and among the
masses as a whole. It has flared
occasionally into violence-there
have been two conservative rebel
lions against the Madrid radicals
since the republic was founded.
Climax at Hand
And, according to all indications,
the climax has now arrived. The
"old line" forces in Spain appar-
emily have coalesced into a mill
Observation-Disclosures bloc conse-
Grated primarily to the task of un-
seating the radicals and rebuild
ing Spain on its ancient founda-
lions.
Whether this means a Bourbon
restoration is a matter for sheer
conjecture. Francisco Franco and
other fascist leaders are avoWed
monarchists. But in Germany Hit
Ter himself always limited at pos
sibility of Hohenzollern restora-
ton when he was bidding for popu-
lar support, only to slam the Dor
der gates loudly in Wilhelm'S face
when power actually came into his
hands.
There is closer analogy, per-
haps, between present-day Spain
and the Italy of 1923. MusSolini'S
millions were motivated also by
desire to destroy a regime whose
policies seemed inimical to the
nations interests, and they, too,
were a minority when they began.
But MuSsolisi'S march on Rome
was long planned, carefully plotted,
ingeniously executed. The Span
ish uprising, like all the others in
1berian history, is a volatile ex-
ploSion. It's achievements will at
best be transitory, but at least bid
fair to pave the way for a funda-
mental change.