TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 18829, 24 May 1920, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

An intercs'ing view- of (he new Spain was given recently by Luis Bolin, a Spanish journalist, who has travelled extensively. Mr Bolin says that radical changes have taken -place in tho last ten years. “Madrid is tin longer the rather sleepy old place it used to he," he says, “its life, its whole atmosphere have become those of great modern cities. The next census will show that tho population of tho capital has been practically duplicated, its inhabitants now- numbering over one million. The city has grown enormously; not only new streets, but whole districts, full of well-built, comfortable houses, have sprung up as if by magic. An idea of the way in which the size of Madrid is increasing may’ be gathered from the fact that the number of houses actually under construction exceeds one thousand. Several first-rate hotels have been opened; and of them, as of many others throughout the rest of the country, it is only fair to say that they can be counted among the best in Europe. Not only the shell, but also the whole life of the town has increased of late. In Madrid nowaday-s there seem to be people everywhere anti for everything, Cafes, theatre?, racecourse?, and places of amusement, are crowded with well-dressed men and women, who spend their money freely' and thoroughly enjoy life. The same can be said of Barcelona, and, indeed, of the rest of Spain. Towns everywhere a.re growing in size and activity, and the acuteness of the housing problem proves that progress in these directions is yet far from its stopping point.

“The war gave an enormous impulse to the exploitation of Spanish mineral wealth,” Mr Bolin goer, on, "and there can be little doubt that it will he further developed in the near future. The great potential electrical power of the country is almost untouched. A British company has started the construction of a new railway in Andalusia which will make a radical change in that region. Shipbuilding is increasing yearly, while purchases in foreign countries are augmenting the size nf the mercantile fleet. One hears constantly of another foreign hank having opened a hnuu-h in com" Spanish commercial centre. Factories and indudriel concern? have grown to such an extent that export? of manufactured goods have been doubled during the last seven years and far exceed those of raw materials. And, notwithstanding the rise in the value of the peseta, which, with the exception of (he dollar, reaches to-day a higher ['rice in the money market than any other coin, the commercial balance is being maintained favourably. Spain is r.t present the commercial battlefield of Europe. The advantages which accru<‘ to her as a result of her favourable geographical position with regard to North and South America are every day more apparent.”

There is a considerable surplus of officers in the British Navy and in ?>larch las! .he Admiralty offered special inducements to them to redre within the succeeding six month'. Under these terms in the case of captains and commanders the present scale of retired pay will be granted. This includes the 20 per cent, due to increased cost of living and will not be subject to change when revisions take place every three yours. Officers of 40 years and over may retire with retired pay and gratuity at rates applicable to officers of -19. Lieut.-command-ers, lieutenants, and mates between 30 and 40 years will receive a gratuity of £SOO in addi'hm to retired pay ranging from £2.52 to £290 for 15 to 10 years’ service, with £ls for each full additional year nr £lO deduction for each full year less than the’ complete period specified. For officers under 30 years the conditions of retirement are; Lieut .-commanders —Gratuity £2500, with £2OO for each year’s seniority in the rank of lieut.-commander; Lieutenants and Mates— Gratuity £IOOO, and £l5O for each year’s seniority in the confirmed rank of lieutenant or mate; acting-lieutenants of 2 years’ seniority or over ns confirmed sub-lieutenants— Gratuity £1000; sub-lieutenant.s and actinglieibenants of less than 2 years’ seniority as confirmed sub-lieutenants, and acting subfieutenants (who held the acting rank on March 2) —A gratuity of £500; midshipmen promoted to acting sub-lieutenants subsequent to that date will be eligible for the withdrawal grant of £4OO.

The cable messages from New York last week announced that one de la Huerta had hern appointed Provisional President in Mexico. It is probable that this should be do la Barra, who was provisional president before Huerta took charge. In April last when the outbreak in Sonora began de la Barra was the executive head of the movement, and issued proclamations at the outset of the revolt. One of these posters announced: “The united revolutionists against the present unfortunate Government have seen fit to unite at a very abrupt moment, in order to get together a group that will satisfy the interests and the politicians, and to propose to our country and the civilised world that the following candidates will give all of their moral support and all that they have to obtain a reversal of the present Constitution of the republic so that free and definite legal elections may be had.” The proclamation was signed by do la Barra, by the leaders in the new move-

ment, together with the respective Federal offices they proposed to occupy, ns follows: Emilio Rebaen, Secretary of Foreign Relations ; Adolpho Reyes, Secretary of Internal Government; General Manuel Pelaez, Secretary of War and Marine; Toribio Esquival, Secretary of Buildings and Public Credit; Manuel Calero, Secretary of Communications; Jorge Vera Estanal, Secretary of Justice; Francisco Vasquez Gomez, Secretary of Agricul ura; Manuel Garza Aldapc, Score tr.ry of Industry, and M. Lopez, Secretary of Public Instructions. It will be seen that Obrcgon is not mentioned in this provisional government and therein may be the germ of a future quarrel.