Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-09-11
SPAIN, GERMANY AND THE
CAROyINEs.

Though Prince Bismarck Is said to
have expressed his willingness to refer
the Carolines dispute to the arbitration
of a friendly Power the quarrel be-
tween Germany and Spain still bears a
grave character. Much bad blood has
been e~ngendered in Spain by the rude
methods of the Iron Chancellor, and the
offer to submit the question of owner
ship Of the islands to the decision Of a
third party will presumably be con
sidered by the Spaniards as only adding
insult to injury. If Spain believes her
claims to be valid. then she can admit
Of no question Of ownership being raised
at all. But. unfortunately for herself,
the claims she has put forward have
never been recognized by the world.
As to the rights and wrongs of the
question at issue, no one needs to ex-
ercise his brains to any great extent
about them, Says the New York
Herald: "Neither Spain nor Germany
has any just right to the Caroline Isl.
ands as a whole. BY right Of discovery
the various islands Of the groups should
belong to Portugal, France, Russia. Eng.
land and the United States. But no.
body ever asserted sovereignty over
them, and SPANS claim. dating from
two hundred years back, have lapsed
because of Hon.occupation. Spain's po.
sition has been that of the dog in the
manger. She had no use for the isl.
ands herself and did not wish any other
Power to make use of them. She fully
deserves, therefore, the trouble she has
allowed to come upon herself.
"Spain's attempt to prove her rights
to the Carolines in international Law
have failed. 1t is true that some eight
months ago. after she had shifted the
Germans at work to windward, she ex.
pressed her determination to plant the
Spanish flag on the islands. Prince
Bismarck answered that it was too late.
Then, failing to convince the world oil
the validity of her ancient and an.
tiquated claims, she hauled out Of her
dusty archives q bull of Pope Alex
ander VI, said to contain arguments in
favor of her ownership. This document
was hailed by the Iron Chancellor with
q smile. Then Spain forwarded to Ger
many a copy of an agreement signed
three years ago by native chiefs, in
which they are said TO have recognized
her sovereignty over the Caroline Isl
ands. This document was received il
Berlin with ~undisguised contempt. Ger
many answered that she knew how such
signatures were obtained, having been il
the business herself. In short, Prince
Bismarck has refused to accept any ex
plantations from Spain about her ALLEGED
rights, and one of his last moves ha
been to order Admiral Paschen's squad
ron, which has just succeeded In bully
ing Sultan Seydid into humility, to tn
Carolines. to support Germany's claim
and to resist Spanish interference.
Germany has undoubtedly the sup
port Of England in the dispute. In 1877;
the English Government denied ab
s~olutely the right claimed by SpaiI
over the Carolines and the Pellews, say
ing that the Spanish Government 'hat
never exercised, and did not exercise
any dominion over them On the othel
hand, Spain herself admits that hel
rights over the Marshall and Gilbert
groups are Of o doubtful character. She
still upholds her claims to the Contra
and Western groups, however, and it ii
on some Of the islands among these. moi
yet specified, that Germany has now
planted her standard. The end will oil
course be . division of spoils among Ger
many, Spain and England-the latter
taking the Eastern groups and the two
former coming to an arrangement about
the Pellews and the Central group, Oh
Carolines proper. II is. nevertheless, q
pity that this Wholesale robbery of isl
ands in the Pacific should be permitted
10 60 on unchecked. With the compile
tion Of the Nicaragua or Panama Canal
this vast territory Of island groups will
have . greatly enhanced value, and ought
ct onoe to be placed under international
protection for the benefit Of the com
merce Of the world"
A POPULAR SUPERSTITION.