To the Editor of the month-Cuwa Dairy News"
Sm—The 28th day of May 1926 has a special interest for all Portuguese irom the circumstance that it marks the beginning of a memorable epoch in tne history of the Portuguese Nation. it carries one's thoughts into the elements from which a remarkable era has grown—wherein every form of liberalism and individualism has been proscribed together with the dissolu-ùon of all political parties and factions—into the possible growth and glory of a still greater future.
It is not the purpose of these lines to consider the circumstances of the coup d'etat which so effectively secured Portuguese colonial integrity anti ce-operation, but merely to reco as a tribute of respect, the names of the three great figures who were in-identified with the mighty movement; viz, President Carmona, Dr. Oliveira Salazar. and Dr. Armindo Monteiro. The outstanding features of the President's life are already well known He has, more than any of his predecessors, set his seal on the political heights of his country by his in-omitable will-power. Perhaps the strongest impression to be derived from his leadership is that of a ealthy and unswerving though peculiarly constituted mind. One would unhesitatingly apply to President Carmona the well-known aphorism "Impavidum tenent..." and still fall far short of his real character.
Dr, Oliveira Salazar's name is better known as that of the notable diplomatic, who has placed his country's financial affairs on a footing that has evoked world-wide admiration, His character may perhaps be summed up as follows providential spirit that ever lays up in store what the morrow may need, an author of monumental creations and a mistic spirit brimful of contradictory influences which however make only for good." Add to this a store of commonsense and real culture and we have one of those personalities which one very rarely comes across in our day.
As to Dr. Armindo ' Monteiro, I wish merely to translate the following passage from the memorable speech which he delivered before the "Sociedade de Geografa" in 1932.
"Portugal may be merely a nation JAS ae, which possesses colonies or—an Empire, This may be the spiritual! realization whereof her colonies would be the incorporation, Apart from its territorial extension, the Empire results mainly from its particular mentality. This is based essentially on the conviction whick the Nation has of the value of the work it has already accomplished in the direction I have referred to, on the will to pursue it without int ruption, on the determination ener-ge tically to pursue it, overcoming all difficulties—for is the Na-this tion's right.
Nobody better than our former Minister for the Colonies has more succinctly enunciated the "Imperial" policy of the country, which con-Siders every member of thy country and. of ith colonial possessions as an integral part of the*Nation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.