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Hokitika Guardian, 24 February 1931, Page 4

Spain’s future hangs in the balance. Throughout the country there is a strong demand for some form of constitutional government, and the present struggle centres round t;he respective claims of a monarchy and a republic. Last year a meeting to demand a republic was held in a bull-ring in Madrid under the very nose of the King. Later a revolution was carefully planned on a large scale, having for its first object the establishment of a republic*. It miscarried 'in its early stages, and the Government by prompt aelien re-established its authority with the help of martial law. The mam cans' of dissatisfaction, points out an exchange, is the continued suppression of popular rights. When the Dictatorship was established in 1923 it was welcomed because the constitutional machine had been worked in such a way as to bring into disrepute the Parliamentary system. But General Pi'imo do Rivera recognised, towards the end of his term of office, that the d.maml for a return to constitutional rule was widespread and justified. TTo drew up a new Constitution which ho though suitable to present conditions. His opponents, however, would have nothing to do with it, and General Berenguer formed a Government which a Socialist manifesto says differed in nothing from that presided over by

General clc Rivera. The manifesto pioceeds: “General Berenguer, elected in the same way as General Prime do Rivera, is the symbol of tiie Spain which is degenerating in a painful process of divoai position. Faring tins Spain then.* is another Spain full of vitality, with which we completely identify oar.-eh os. and in which wo repose the whole of cur faith and confidence.” Senor Sanchez Guerra, who a short time ago concentrated Iris attacks on the King and declared that he would never co-operate with him, was recently summoned by the King to San Sebastian “for a friendly chat on the political situation,” and he was asked to form a .Ministry but did not proceed with the task. The King now has to choose between a constitutional form of unman by, jn which he will he merely a figure-head, or a form in which he will only line certain Royal prerogatives. Popular opinion will probably compel him to choose the form-