The herald., 1896-04-06
AID FOR CUBA
England to Aid Spain in SURPRISING th
Cubans

England to Aid Spain in SURPRISING the
Cubans
NEW YORK, April 5.-A World dispatch
The positive statement came to your cor
respondent from leading financier OF the
city (the money making part of London),
that England has concluded Q treaty alli-
Ance with Spain. His final message was:
"Within ten days Europe will be startled
with the official announcement OF this
fact"
Continuing the World correspondent
II give this statement with the reserve
which it's importance warrants. pointing
out that only the sensitive money interests
of the city are often better informed on
such matters than is any part of the COM
and that my informant 10 now, and for
many years has been associated with the
leading financial enterprises, cOnspicu-
ously in the International ones, of London
bankers. His name. If could mention 1t,
would be recognized as very authoritative
by every New York banker, as we'll as
every London banker. Such a treaty would
have vastly important bearing upon the
continental situation. 1t would have conf
mensurately important bearing upon the
Cuban question in the United States.
II quoted to my informant the state
ineut III the NOW lOrk papers rodcuitik iuo
yesterday that the Washington govern
ment had received q semi-officlal intima-
ton from the British ministry that Eng
land would approve of the recognition by
the United States Of Cuban belliRerency.
His reply was that exactly the contrary
is the case; that in the first place the Sails
bury ministry is disposed to do anything It
can, with safety and in reason, to check
the pretensions of the American govern
Inent to interfere in either West Indian
or South American affairs, particularly in
the West Indies, particularly whore Great
Britain herself has most interests. and
that, secondly, Spain by this treaty has
return for the more or less active support
of Spain in her conflict with the CUBE n
rebels.
~ can furnish no further details of this
alleged treaty than that, according to my
informant, 1t will include giving to Great
Britain the right to harbor and retit her
fleets in the Mediterranean ports of Spain.
The harbor of Carthagena is one Of the
finest on the Mediterranean and will
shelter the entire British navy. The Sails
bury ministry has openly and officially
stated that one of its reasons for the ex-
traordinary movement, the advance OF the
Soudan. accepted as hostile by France and
Russia, was to make q friendly diversion
in behalf of Italy. All Europe has in turn
accepted this assurance as proof Of Eng.
lands sympathy with the triple alliance,
and even Germany showed appreciation OF
this fact by voting with Italy and Austria
to assist England's war with the Khalifa.
France and Russia on the contrary, are
ablaze with hostile indignation against
| England because of this movement.
From all this the Importance of an
| Angio-Spanish alliance to Great Britain IA
obvious. Neither Gibraltar nur Malta
England's only two ports on the Mediter-
ranean--is capable of either harboring or
refitting fleet. but, with the Italian and
Spanish ports open to the British navy, the
| French fleet at Toulon would be at Eng
make a junction on the Black sea with
ships of her French ally. Such are the ap-
parent reasons why Great Britain should
wish to make such an alliance. It would,
moreover, leave her in safe possession OF
Gibraltar"