Honor Sullied

The Duke of Almodovar and Count Cimera each addressed furious open letters, last week, to General Don Miguel Primo de Rivera, Marquis de Estella, Prime Minister and Dictator of Spain.

Bitterly Duke and Count complained that their honor had been sullied by the Marquis. What did he mean, they asked in effect, by breaking off his engagement with the Senorita Mercedes de Castellanos (TIME, June 18) and giving as his reason her "imprudent and inexplicable" conduct in appearing on the Madrid Stock Exchange accompanied by the Duke and Count?

To neither of these nobles does it seem "inexplicable" that a pretty woman should accept their joint escort; and to suggest that she was "imprudent" in so doing is clearly a dueling matter.

Since dictators are proverbially above honor, dueling, and stooping to answer open letters, General Primo de Rivera contented himself, last week, with observing to reporters: "My position does not permit me to be at the disposition of persons who, thinking themselves damaged by my statements, would seek to involve me in a personal dispute."

Such an attitude violates all canons of Spanish honor. Therefore, last week, most Spanish statesmen not of the dictator's own faction pointedly absented themselves from a State Ball given at the Royal Palace in Madrid.

His Most Catholic Majesty, King Alfonso XIII, now admittedly under the dictator's heavy thumb, continued to evince no sign of distaste for General Primo de Rivera.