New Regime

Following faithfully Italian Fascism, Dictator Primo de Rivera, who seized power last Fall, *ousted the politicians and set up a military directorate to rule Spain with the mailed fist (TIME, Sept. 24), last week requested King Alfonso to sign a decree demilitarizing the Directorate, modifying the dictatorial powers of himself, making the Ministers once more responsible to the Crown.

Members of the Directorate were assigned new jobs; all took an oath of allegiance to the King. Primo, while remaining head of the Cabinet, became Minister of Cults and Justice.

The King also signed a decree granting amnesty to those sentenced on account of the Moroccan disaster of 1921, those convicted for political offenses and persons imprisoned for newspaper libel.

* A story in circulation about the rise of Primo is contained in the following telephone conversation between Senor Niceto Alcala Zamora, Minister of War, in Madrid, and Primo, the Captain General of Barcelona, in Barcelona:

Zamora: "That you, Primo?"

Primo: "Yes."

Z.: "I hear there is a revolution down your way."

P.: "You are very well informed, my dear Zamora."

Z.: "What are you doing to suppress it?"

P.: "Nothing."

Z.: "Caramba! What the devil do you mean?"

P.: "Just this, I'm running the revolution."

Z.: "Treason! Consider yourself under arrest."

P.: "Thank you. I shall be in Madrid shortly, but I advise you to exile yourself before my arrival."

He did.