(W. A. P. ; R. AL.) Moroceo.—At the close of the year 1910 Senor Canalejas re signed in order to reconstruct his cabinet. This second ministry lasted till April 3, 1911, when it fell on the occasion of a debate on the Ferrer case.
The attention of parliament was diverted towards Moroccan affairs. The French were preparing their advance on Fez, and Spain was forced to an active policy, the first signs of which were received with ill-humour by the French press. The Govern ment, in the teeth of popular opposition, were sending troops to Morocco, and on June 9 a Spanish force landed at Larache. France was prevented from taking strong action by the Agadir incident (see MOROCCO; EUROPE, etc.), but a certain tension prevailed between France and Spain during the summer.
The Moroccan operation prepared as a consequence of the disembarkation in Larache began successfully on Dec. 6, but collapsed a few days later after a gallant attempt to force the passage of the River Kert, not without leaving behind an atmos phere of ill-feeling due to the belief, current in the Spanish army, that the Moorish troops were provided with French arms and ammunition. Under such unfavourable conditions began the negotiations for a Franco-Spanish agreement following upon the Franco-German treaty on Morocco. After a reshuffling of his cabinet (March II) Canalejas adjourned parliament until May I.
With the summer a period of strikes, culminating in a grave railway strike, set in. Canalejas met it by applying article 221 of the Recruiting Law allowing the drafting into military service of all men of military age working in industries of public importance in cases of danger or abnormal circumstances. On Oct. 14 the autumn session began with a fresh discussion of the bill de Mancomunidades, but the session was brought to a close by the murder of Canalejas on Nov. 12, 1912 by a fanatical anarchist, an event which ended all the hopes placed in a statesman who, in less than three years and in spite of all the difficulties which had arisen, had given politics a distinctly liberal trend.
Maura, who had hoped to be asked to form a government, pro tested against the continuation in power of the Liberals. This was the first sign of a determined opposition. Senor Alvarez, on the other hand, took the opportunity to accentuate his evolu tion towards the monarchy, helped by the king, who, at the moment, was seeking the advice of several prominent men known for their advanced views. Count Romanones took a good share of whatever merit there was in this policy, as well as in the success of the king's official visit to Paris on the conclusion of the Franco-Spanish treaty (May 6-9). He resigned on May 31, after a strong speech of opposition from Maura who restated his posi tion of "implacable hostility" to a policy of co-operation with the parties of the anti-dynastic Left. The next day the king asked Romanones to return once more, after the crisis caused by a split in the Liberal Party on the question of the bill de Mancomuni dades then before the Senate (June II). But this time it was generally realized that this step was simply an expedient neces sitated by the coming visit of the French president to Madrid.
The latent Liberal crisis broke out as soon as M. Poincare left Spanish soil. On Oct. 25 the cabinet resigned, and the king, after attempting in vain to reconcile the parties, realized that the Liberal policy which he had constantly followed since 19o9 was at an end. He first summoned Maura but found his views on policy so dangerous that he turned to Senor Dato (Oct. 27), a choice which initiated the disintegration of the Conservative party. The new Government granted a decree giving validity of law to the bill de Mancomunidades, dissolved the cortes (Dec. 31, 1913), and came back after a general election with a sufficient majority in both houses. It met with considerable opposition owing to several royal decisions which were interpreted as acts of personal power in military matters. But its internal difficulties were soon to be merged into the all-absorbing preoccupation of the World War.