Foreign News: Assembly Opened

In a perfect setting of perfect order, perfect weather, perfect enthusiasm, not top boisterous, nott too restrained, King Alfonso XIII, accompanied by his master, Dictator Premier Primo de Rivera, opened the new consultative National Assembly* (TIME, Sept. 26) in the Palace of the Cortes (Parliament), Madrid.

The ceremony was simple, so simple in fact that the monarch and his entourage entered the building by a side door. There were no red carpet, no flowers, no decorations on the Palace, no brilliant uniforms; King, Dictator, Delegates were all dressed in sombre morning attire. The only splash of color was supplied by the Princes of the Church in their Cardinal red. This drab setting was to emphasize the fact that the Assembly is a working body and not a fountain of useless rhetoric.

With laconic precision, the King declared the new Assembly open. The Dictator thanked the King for attending the opening so soon after his arrival from a visit to Morocco, and immediately quitted the building. Senor Jose Maria Yanguas, onetime Secretary of State, was chosen President of the Assembly and made the opening speech, in which, as he was bound to, he lauded Dictator de Rivera.

The only disharmonious note was sounded by the announcement that the Duchess Parcent and the Countess San Luis, women delegates chosen by General de Rivera, had resigned half an hour before the session began.

*The new National Assembly is at present Spain’s nearest approach to a Legislature; actually it is a consultative body, appointed by Dictator Primo de Rivera and working in committees for the most part. It is designed to aid the Dictator in framing: the laws of the nation.