PORTUGAL’S RECORD

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 16, 9 April 1927, Page 24

PORTUGAL’S RECORD

A COUNTRY OF TURMOIL ONE REVOLT A YEAR THE European record for sustained internal turmoil unquestionably belongs to Portugal, in the opinion of sundry newspapers. The recent uprising in, Oporto and Lisbon against the dictatorship of President Prageso Carmona was the twentieth since the assassination of King Carlos and his eldest son In 1908. Since King Manuel was expelled in 1910, the Republic which then came into being has averaged “one sizable movement a year.”

No other outbreak, the correspondents say, has been so severe or so well prepared as tl latest, but the army in the main was loyal to Carmona, and he was fully prepared. The first manifesto against the present Government was signed by Jaime de Morais, a former naval officer and a popular leader of the Democratic Party; also by Alvaro Castro, leader of the Republican Party, and Alfonso da Costa, former Portuguese delegate to the League of Nations. The principal leaders in the movement, except two, were killed or captured. The captured leaders were transported to the colonies. As for the rebel troops, they were made up of disaffected marines and small army units, with a sprinkling of civilians, making a total of less than 5,000 in each of the cities here the fighting occurred.

In Oporto the rebels entrenched themselves in a public square, and when President Carmona, in his capacity as Minister of War, led a loyal force against them there was hot street fighting; at "length the city was bombarded and some fine public buildings were injured or ruined before the rebels surrendered. In Lisbon the arsenal was seized by rebellious marines, three companies of Republican Guards and disaffected civilians. Here also there w 'e'ermined street fighting. Infantry and artillery gradually advanced toward the arsenal, closing in the rebels on three sides, so that the only escape was by dropping into the sea. Thus cornered, the insurgents finally surrendered. The Morning After Meanwhile many public buildings had been riddled by rifle and machinegun fire. The American legation was repeatedly struck by bullets. Except in limited areas, the property damage in Lisbon was not serious, but when the storm had passed there was a “morning after” air about the city. As for the causes of the revolt, aside from the usual desire of the “outs” t become “ins.’ 3 Press 'atches agree that the movement was aimed at the dictatorship of President Carmona, who is now ruling after the fashion of De Rivera in Spain and Mussolini in Italy. Both in Oporto and in Lisbon the battle-cry was “Down v-il’i the Government! Long live the Constitution!” That there was a Bolshevik element in the rebel movement is indicated in a statement made by President Carmona on February 14, in which he said: “Pacification of Portugal must necessarily be an extremely trying task, owing to the social and administrative disorders caused by 16 years of mis-government by political parties which thought more of their own interest than of the good of the country. Constant struggles between these parties have also created favourable ground for social indiscipline and strenuous propaganda by Communistic elements and the Moscow Internationale, especially the working classes and syndicalists.” Viewing the situation from the j angle of President Carmona’s opponents, it is recalled that the hostility

to him reached a climax v-hen the Government tried to borrow £12,000,000 abroad, and when negotiitions were bgun in London for a loan on the tobacco monopoly. The opposition group was anxious to keep Carmona from strengthening his position by these financial operations. The money, it was protested, would be spent without constitutional safeguards. How Carmona Came to Power The events that originally placed Carmc :i in power are thus summarised: — “General Carmona assumed the Presidency of Portugal on November 29, 1926, after having, on July 9, seized the offices of Prime Minister and Minister of War, making himself dictator of the country in which a few hours previously he had held and was dismissed from the post of Foreign Minister by General Comes da Costa. “General da Costa had seized the Government from General Machado, the Constitutional President, on May 30, and when, in three days, three Ministries failed, he set up a triumvirate consisting of himself, General Cabecadas and Commandant da Gama Ochoa to rule the country. This also failed, and General da Costa declared himself dictator. ral Carmona, a friend of each member of the erstwhile triumvirate, remained on friendly terms with General da Costa, who appointed him Foreign Minister. He determined in July to dispense with General Carmona and two other Ministers. General Carmona promptly engineered a bloodless revolution and took over the Government, naming a new MinisTy the same day.” Though some of the leaders thus • asted were among the plotters of the latest uprising, it is pointed out that they would not have been able to get so laYge a following if there had not been a good deal of dissatisfaction with the Carmona dictatorship.