The influence.ot the Church was largely responsible for the results of the elections in November, 1033. At that time the bourgeois Leftists had governed the country for more than two years: The first republican enthusiasm was gone: many mistakes had been made and the great depression made itself increasingly felt in Spain. A new election statute had eon enacted by the Left; it turned out to be to their disadvantage and the Rightist Centre parties won the elections. "The "Caziquismo™ had been mobilized, and in addition, the women had Deen granted an equal franchise by the "Republicang and under the influence of the Church, they gave their voles to the Right.
The Leftist government of Senor Azana resigned to be followed by [Successive governments of Rightist Republicans. The Catholic Popular Action Party of Senor Gil Robles, the Diggest group In the Cortes, and the monarchist parties (Alfonsists and Curlists) refused to toke office under the Republic, but the Radicals were tunable {0 govern properly. They Jacked a firm parliamentary basis, since they were 'a minority govern-mem, dependent on the goodwill of the Right, and they lacked integrity, 'The Leader of the Radicals, Senor Alexander Leroux, and most' of his Partisans, considered their office as a means of gelting rich quick—a shipowner who had a claim against the National Treasury of little more than 100,000 pesetas. was induced to claim millions instead, and all would be enriched. There was the affair of Mr. Strauss; the highest office-holders of Spain promised him a licence to open a gambling resort, although gambling is prohibited offiéially—he oiled the palms of the office-holders li" he had spent his fortune; then hho was sent away empty-handed. 'The profs of the affair were' shared by_higher-ups.
"Though these scandals were uncovered only in the winter 1938/36, they were whispered about before in well-informed elreles. Not on ac~ count of such affairs was the Radical government overthrown, but because they were unable to govern. They wore fully satisfied to turn the clock back, to undermine agrarian, educa-anal and social reform. Nothing else. was done. When in September 1994, "a new crisis occurred,. the parliamentary basis of the government was broadened. The Catholic Popular Action Party sent ministers into the cabinet, assuming respon sibility for the government.
Rebellion of 1934
Though this move to the Right was unavoidable under parliamentary government, it roused the Left and people believed a new dictatorship was coming. A general strike was proclaimed, and all over the country uprisings occurred, and in two places they grew Into open rebellion. Catalonia a Leftist government was till in power and they feared that Catalonian autonomy, granted 1031, might be rescinded. "Besides the social and the cultural tension, Spain pervaded by the centralism Madrid and the centrifugal tendencies in the Provinees. 'There was a movement in the 17th century to severe Catalonia from' Spain' with French assistance. In the 19th cen speech, literature and revived, and the idea of Calalonian autonomy was pro-agated anew. "Many reasons for Catalonian separatism exist. In part. the Catalonian movement. belongs to the general European movement of re-awakening nationalism which led to the unification of Germany and Moly and, belatedly, to the creation of the new states of Czecho-slovakia and Poland in 1018/19, As elsewhere, the movement gained strength from ils crude and brutal suppression by the Madrid authori fies—the more so, since Catalgnian autonomy appealed to the strong individualism of the Catalans, that very individualism on which Barcelona be-Jcame the centre of Spanish anarchism. Economic complaints were added—the Catalans liked to argue that their rich" country and peopled by in~ dustrious workers was exploited by the poor but powerful and oppressive Castilians. The Castilians might have answered properly that in reality, it was the whole of Spain which was exploited by Catalonia, the centre of protected and subsidized Spanish manufacturing Industries, by means of exorbitant prices for Catalonian goods.
The other centre of rebellion, in October 1934, was Asturia 1a raya (Red "Asturia), the coal-mining district. Spanish mining was passing through a severe crisis for it is very uneconomic; since the seams are thin and often "broken modern mining machinery catinot be employed. The existing mines are the product of protection which wes srst introduced in 1695—through this influence production grew to four times its former size, in no more than three years.
During the World War, coal mining was expanded still more; followed by a severe depression. Government-owned or government-subsidized enterprises, "specially railways, were compelled to use Spanish coal, increasing their costs and. their' demands for subsidies. Railway tariffs generally are intolerably high, since the expensive mountain railways are little used, "The poor financial posi-of cost-mining naturally was reflected in miserable working condl-Hons. There was also much 1n-employment. The "mineres" became the advance-guard of revolution.
ier foremost weapon is dynamite which, then as now, is used by them in civil war, with great ability and courage. Two years ago the rebel-ons in Austuria and Catalonia were suppressed by Moors and. foreign Jeglonnaries. Terrible cruelties were committed by both sides, but though the Asturians were defeated, their wilt was unbroken. They considered the unsuccessful rebellion as a successful dress rehearsal, They kept guns, rifles, and ammunition for the Fevolution to come. in abandoned mines where one could find them,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.