31 JANUARY 1925, Page 2

In Spain the return of the Marquis de Estella on

Thursday, the 22nd, to Madrid after four months spent in Morocco, and the assembling of all the provincial Mayors to honour the King, mark an important stage in the history of the Directory. Not unexpectedly the Marquis announced in a speech to the Mayors that the Directory would continue and would have no dealings with the political parties. The censorship is to continue and there seems no immediate prospect of the summoning of the Cortes. The Madrid correspondent of the Times attempts to estimate the progress which has been made in the fifteen months since the coup d'etat.