Bourbon in Distress

King by the Grace of God, His Catholic Majesty Alfonso XIII suddenly found himself this week no longer King by the Will of the People. In the first election Spain has had for eight years the People hurled an avalanche of Republican ballots against the Crown.

In Madrid the King's candidates failed to carry even the constituency in which his palace stood, lost the Capital as a whole, lost Seville, Barcelona, Cordova, lost all the provincial capitals except three, lost what was supposed to be the invincible Catholic stronghold of the Crown, Toledo. "I feel," said deeply religious Alfonso XIII, "as though I had gone to visit a friend and, in reaching his house, learned that he was dead."

The election was only for municipal aldermen. But as a straw vote of the national issue of Monarchy v. Republic it was terrific, carried more than a possibility that the straw would flame up in revolution. Said Prime Minister Admiral Aznar, "Disastrous--that was what I told His Majesty. When a Monarchistic country turns Republican within twenty-four hours, the crisis is enough for anyone."

Three of the most prominent Cabinet members at once tried to resign, were curtly told that the King did not accept their resignations. "Most disastrous!" groaned Count de Romanones, "richest Spaniard," entrapped as Minister of State by the King's rebuff. (Despite the fact that Count de Romanones is supposed to own the manorial town of Guadalajara outright, he had been unable to keep its citizens from electing Republicans.)

King Alfonso took the night to think things over. A Bourbon to the last, though a 20th Century Bourbon, he spent the evening at a movie show in his palace. With him were his children and Queen Victoria Eugenie, cousin of George V, granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

In the morning His Majesty offered to abdicate in favor of his eldest son and heir, the Prince of the Asturias. But excited, victorious Republican Leader Alcala Zamora, who only last month was in jail, flatly refused, demanded unconditional abdication.

At this the blood of the Bourbon boiled. "I agree to abdicate," haughtily retorted King Alfonso, "upon condition that I be permitted to leave Spain with appropriate honors, with full military honors."

What is one salute more or less? In Spain, to the man of honor, honor is all. Soon King Alfonso, the only living monarch who was born a king, abdicated with honor. He and his family prepared to leave Madrid for Paris, then London, which to Her Majesty is "home," and where the Royal Family have cool millions banked.

Triumphant, ex-Jailbird Alcala Zamora quickly formed a Republican Cabinet with himself as Prime Minister, called out of hiding a batch of 100%, Republican Ministers.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.