The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET AUCKLAND THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1930. A DICTATOR’S DOWNFALL

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 884, 30 January 1930, Page 10

The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET AUCKLAND THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1930. A DICTATOR’S DOWNFALL

EVERY dictator, like the proverbial dog, lias his day. This is not saying anything derogatory of the fallen Dictator of Spain. General Priino de Rivera—a name symbolic of a distinctive destiny—has not been politically or dictatorially, either a bad or a mad dog. It is true that he often has been denounced as a pinchbeck tyrant, bttt one of the harshest descriptions of the man has revealed him as a likeable fellow: “He is an Andalusian with a charming personality; a khaki-clad figure at once gracious and very human, with an odd nervous trick of taking on.and off his ordinary-looking spectacles,, which was, to say the least of it, unexpected in a soldier showing mental alertness. - ’ Another observer has described him less kindly as “a pale replica of Signor Mussolini.” Appearances in politics, however, are deceptive—a fact that is not peculiar to Spain, where politicians for over six years have been rated at worth less than three a penny. In September, 1923, General Primo de Rivera took the reins of government out of the fumbling hands of political muddlers and established a Military Directory. He met one of Spain’s greatest needs at the time and put an end to the foolish Moroccan campaign. Then he undertook the stupendous task of attempting to wean the army away from Spanish polities, in which the representatives of the country’s military organisation hitherto always had played a forceful part. This aim was really the beginning of Iris doom. ! In practice it meant administration of Spain by a Military Dictatorship, with the professional army, particularly all “the best people” in its circle, against it. But surely it says a great deal for the Dictator’s strength of will and compact, hard efficiency that he succeeded in maintaining firm control for close on seven years. With the exception of a Gilbertian insurrection early last year, and certain drastic measures against gunmen and other criminal desperadoes in Barcelona, the Rivera regime of so-called administrative tyranny has been completely free of personal violence and bloodshed. Indeed, the first casualty among the people did not occur until after the Dictator’s abrupt resignation or retreat, a girl in a Madrid riot of students having been injured by a stone fiung erratically at a policeman. Of course, many oppositionists to the dictatorship have suffered penalties and fairly severe punishment, but the imposition of heavy fines (as has been explained naively) always was inflicted on persons who were known to be well able to pay them. In any case it is the special prerogative of Dictators to suppress political conspiracy. General Primo de Rivera higiself had no illusions about politics and the rights of democracy. His ways of government were singularly his own and quite different from anything known to'students of political history. PeiTiaps the man honestly believed that a nation that loves hull-baiting would enjoy the tactics of an administrative toreador. “Politics,” he once said, “hinder government,” and forthwith he set out to remove the hindrance. Unfortunately for himself the Dictator went much too far. He issued a decree forbidding' citizens to discuss politics.. Moreover, there was organised a bureaucratic system of espionage. Social spies were appointed to collect information about persons who slandered the Government, and also to compile a register of public officials who were not sufficiently discreet. More than anything else, with perhaps the traditional exception of Clericalism or religious influence, this stupid tyranny hastened the downfall of the great Dictator. The average Spaniard, like almost everybody else nowadays, has little interest in politics, because politics everywhere have become contemptible, but to deprive him of the right to discuss the supineness of politicians and all their political nonsense was a wild bull to be slaughtered. It is impossible to predict what form of government may follow a protracted dictatorship which was a law unto itself. Five years ago Primo de Rivera promised the establishment of a new constitution and boasted that it could be devised and established within three months. Last year, however, he declared that it would take two years more in which to provide the constitutional regime required by Spain. Such delay as that was to he expected in a country where the present for an easy-going race is always tomorrow. In all probability the near future will be a critical time for Spain. It may be a good and a delightful thing to get rid of a ruthless dictator, hut it may be a less happy thing to replace him with something better. Meanwhile, Spaniards again have the right to discuss politics. Let it be hoped that they may enjoy the privilege. In other countries polities are not worth discussing.