The Irish standard., 1896-06-13

Mar, 10 the event Of which she would seek
assistance from one Of the great E,lropean
powers Spain would try to get help, nd
doubt hut she would fail, Tor reasons that h
ithes English journalist does not perceive,
EEsays the New York Sur.
It u true, as the Spectator says, that
|spain has something to offer N return fof
| French support. She could promise to join
| the alliance between France and Russia,
Land to favor the Incorporation Of Morocco
with Algeria. It Is also true that the French
government has been rendered somewhat
Iaunfrtendly toward Brazil by the. dispute
concerning the boundary Of French Guiana,
and that n the event OF q war vita the
United States 1t could avenge itself on RIO
t .Janeiro, even ii It did not extend Its Ameri-
can possessions as far south as the Amazon.
But no French ministry could live an hons
after avowing an intention Of embro.llng
the two greatest republics for no better
reason than because the United States
u ould like to do for Cuba what France did
for us, namely, assist in the attainment OF
republican institutions. But, even II a SUI
ficient number of corrupt politicians could
be br:bed to carry through the Chamber OF
Deputies bill providing for The support Of
Spain by France the project would be eef-
ta:nly vetoed by the czar. Spain has noth-
ing to give Russia thst would compensate
for the loss of American friendship, which
the house of Romanoff has been at great
pains to win.
The Spectator proceeds to say that the
Germans also are casting covetous looks
across the water and the Spanish Amer
lean states, two of which have considerable
fleets, do not love the Un:te< tates any
more than they love Englar and once
sheltered by great marine. ver,-wauld
display their sentiments via some en-
ergy." There is not a trace of eVtdence
that the German empire has ever contem-
plated the acquisition of territory in th.s
hemisphere, and nothing could be more
pl eposteous than the notion that to enable
Spain to complete the ruin of Cuba, kai-
ser William II. would make war on d-c0un-
try like the United States, which contains
millions of German citizens. Equally ridic-
ulous is the supposition that Chill and the
Argentine Confederation-which are, of
course, the two Spanish-Amer!can states
referred to-would join France in a war
with the United States for the purpose OF
preventing the enfranch;sement Of Cuba.
The Argentines are as friendly to us as
they are to the Cuban revolutionists, and
although the Conservatives, who are pow
erful at Santiago, regard LIS somewhat
sourly, they detest Spain, and would not
lift finger to uphold her IN the enslave-
ment of any of their Spanish-American
compatriots.
The Spectator Is good enough to say that
in the event of war between Spain and
the United States, Englishmen would
"stand aside and probably sympathize with
the enfranchising power" For this, !. RELIEF
much thanks. How England could recon-
Gle her conscience to approve of Spain's
treatment Of Cuba we know not, but,
should her sympathy be withheld from us
we should not be seriously disabled. We
cannot lose what we have never had. The
Spectators hesitating expression of opinion
that in a dis:nterested effort on our part to
aid men to be free we should probably
have the sympathy of England, strikes one
as a somewhat faint response to Mr.. Bay
ards ferYid defamation.