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Show 1LITI!HE CONTROLS SPAIN Strike Situation Is Cause of Drastic Action; May Suspend Sus-pend Constitution. . MADRID, Monday, March 24. Martial law was proclaimed at 5 o'clock this morning. It is understood that constitutional constitu-tional guarantees may be suspended forthwith forth-with throughout Spain. The workmen of Barcelona declared a general strike at noon today because of the continued detention of mobilized strikers who were arrested during the latest lat-est strike in that city. Banks and stores were reported to be closed and there was no traffic in the streets of the city. The city authorities took measures to provision pro-vision Barcelona and assumed control of means of communication with Madrid. No trains left Madrid for Barcelona to-da to-da y. The cabinet met to consider the situation. situa-tion. There are persistent rumors that the ministry will resign. The action of the Spanish government Monday was the second time it had proclaimed pro-claimed martial law in Madrid this month. The political and economic situation throughout Spain lias been unsettled for manv months. Recently there has been much agitation in Barcelona for autonomy for Catalonia. The situation has been complicated by strikes in Barcelona. Madrid Ma-drid and other cities which have sometimes some-times led to bloodshed. LONDON, March 23. Constitutional guarantees have been suspended throughout through-out Spain, a Central News dispatch from Madrid savs. The Spanish government has exhausted its efforts at conciliation and, the dispatch adds, is determined to act firmly to 'maintain order. f- ' |