UNREST IN PORTUGAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 92, 9 October 1911, Page 5

UNREST IN PORTUGAL

MONARCHISTS COIVERGING ON MONARCHISTS CONVERGING ON By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Madrid, October 0. A force of six thousand men, in two parties, under Captains Concciro and Comacho, is converging on Oporto. The Republican garrison at Chaves, numbering three thousand, lias joined the Monarchists. Captain Paiva, with two thousand men and twelve cannon, was welcomed in tihe town of Braganza. The Royalists have twenty bullet-proof automobiles containing Maxims.

ROYALISTS BUSY.

INSURRECTIONISTS GAINING STRENGTH. Received 8, 5.5 p.m. Lisbon, October T. Eight thousand Republican troops are on the northern frontier. The Government now admits that 700 Royalists under Captain Oamacho, occupied six towns in Braganza, where they were joined by three thousand who had secretly concentrated there. Another body of Royalists has concentrated at Vinhaes, awaiting Captain Conciero's column.

The Republican troops retired from Vinhaes, hoping thus to surround and capture the Royalists. Government troops killed three men who were damaging a railway.

ROYALLSTS DEFEATED. TROUBLE ENDING. Received 9, 1.5 a.m. Lisbon, October 8. It ia officially stated that the new* Monarchist invasion 'has been nipped in the bud. The battleship Vascodegama arrived at Opdrto and a naval contingent was landed. Several Monarchist deserters were arrested. Telegrams from Braganza assert that the Royalists were beaten, and reentered Spain, losing thirty.

EX-KING MANTEL. Received 8, 5.5 p.m. London, October 7. Ex-King Manuel of Portugal is still at Richmond.

REPUBLICANS V. ROYALISTS.

CAPTAIN CONCEIRO'S AIMS. j Captain C'onceiro, the leader of- the Portuguese Royalists, does not want to reteore King -Manuel to his throne, but he wants to vertbrow the small Republican clique which has, he asserts, established in Portugal a despotism worse than that of the Braganzas. Having established a temporary military Government, Conceiro proposes to hold a plebiscite in order to ascertain exactly what I kind of government it is that the Portuguese people want. If they declare un mi-takably for a Republic he will rpo I that they get a Republic, not like the ] present one. but a Republic in which the | Catholics and the extreme Conservatives will be represented as well as the advanced Radicals. If they declare for Dom Miguel, the Dictator will at once bring that Pretender. If they want Dom Manuel, Dom Manuel will again l>e King.

Perhaps about a fourth of the entire Portuguese army (says a writer in tile London Morning Post) is Royalist. Another fourth is intensely Republican. The remaining half lias, no strong convictions cither way. It will join the Royalists if they carry all l>eforc them at the outset' hut it will help to crush them if they are lmdly beaten. As to the people, it is difficult to say anything with certainty. The Monarchists say that about 80 per cent, of the population will join them as soon a.s they cross the frontier. The Republicans try to persuade one that there are not one thousand Royalists in the whole country. It may be safely said that both «ides are wrong. Almost nil the peasantry in the north are Royalist, but they have got no amis, and are not likely to get anv. I know, concludes the Morning Post writer, that until the end of May last a considerable proportion of the troops in the north were shaky in their allegiance to the Republic, 'but, despite all the exhortations of Captain Concci.ro, they refused to move unless a Royalist force, and a strong Royalist force, cro-scd the frontier. In other words, it was found impossible to start the counter-revolu-tion on Portuguese soil. Where all a garrison was Royalist all the ollieers were Republican, or the garrison occupied a remote position of small «tragetieal importance from the invaders' I point of view. Suspected ollieers were being continually shifted about. Many of them were discharged or placed on the retired list. Suspected troops were disbandid or <rnt to thoroughly Republican districts, or placed helpless between Republican detachments, nr supplied with blank cartridge. In the beginning of .hine a -weeping change was made in the disposition of the army. This was the first blow to the Rovalists. It upset an ingenious plan "f theirs by which certain disaffected regiments near the frontier wire to jiKii an armed force of emigrants fiom Spain. The second blow was the filling of the northern provinces with troops on which the Republic could depend. The thoroughly Republican bluejackets were sent from Lisbon to Minho. near Chaves. Even the militarv students from the capital and from Oporto were armed and sent north. On these two elements the | llemihlieans could denend. The bluej'.cket- knew that, there would be no mercy for theiu if the Monarchy came back. The vitung militarv students were prepared to li-hl, with all the reckle«-ne-s of youth. Meanwhile, the Rovalists in the Republican camp were scattered, suspected, and unable to correspond.