Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-06-19 | Page 6 | Spain's Plight

SPAIN'S PLIGHT. A correspondent of a Paris paper sizes up the situation in Spain as very serious, but thinkg the new premier will be able to find a solution for the troubles trou-bles for the time being. There is much doubt, however, regarding the outcome. The soldiers have threatened revo't, and their demands have been acceded to, a dangerous precedent being thus set. Catalonia, whose capital is Barcelona, will not be satisfied with anything loss than complete independence, and notice has been given that no law not passed by Catalonians for Catalonians will be recognized. Strikes are under discus sion by all of the railroad employees and most of the industrial. Tho cost of living has advanced from 20 to 30 per cent recently and the poorer classes aro suffering from Tack of food. Fuel is short, t ho operat ion of trains is becoming be-coming impossible, the export trade is stagnant owing to the German submarine subma-rine warfare, and there is distress and idleness throughout the length and breadth of the land. As it will be the next thing to an impossibility for the. United States or Great Britain to supply sup-ply Spain with coal, we do not look for any improvement in the industrial situation, sit-uation, and, as enforced idleness always breeds trouble, we look for riotous demonstrations dem-onstrations in the larger cities, which the revolutionists will promptly use in their attempts to overthrow the government. govern-ment. Alfonso should be picking out a place of refuge.