The Indianapolis journal., 1896-04-06
Understanding Between the Two that
Gives England Great Advantage
beyond Gibraltar.
BRITAIN's RETURN PROMISE
SHE WILL OPPOSE THIS COUNTRY IN
TERFERING IN CUBA.
More Explicit Details of the Agree
ment Expected to Become Public
i'm n Few Days.

NEW YORK, April ga dispatch to the
World from London says: The positive
statement came to your correspondent from
a leading financier of this city (t,le money
making part Of LondoD that England has
concluded treaty of alliance with Spain.
His final message was: Within ten days
Europe will be startled by the official an
nouncement of this fact"
Continuing, the Worlds correspondent
says: II give this statement with the re-
serve which it's international Importance
warrants, pointing out only that the sensi-
tive money interests of the city are often
better informed such matters than is
any other part of the community, except
the highest official authority. and that my
informant is now and for many years has
been associated with the leading financial
enterprises, conspicuousiy the international
ones of London bankers. His name, If
could mention it, would be recognized as
very authoritative by every New York
barker as well as every London banker.
''Such treaty would have vastly i'm
portant bearing on the continental situation.
1t would have a commensurately important
bearing upon the Cuban question in the
United States.
II quoted to my informant the statement
In the New York newspapers reaching me
by yesterdays mail that the Washington
government had received a semi-official in
timation from the British Ministry that
Great Britain would approve of the recogni-
tion by the United States of Cuban bellig-
erency.
His reply was that exactly the contrary
is the case. that in the first place the Sails
bury Ministry Is disposed to do anything II
can with safety and In reason to check the
pretensions of the American government to
interfere in either West Indian or South
American affairs-particularly in the West
Indies, where Great Britain herself has most
important interests-and that. secondly,
concessions to England in return for the lat
ter's more or less active support of Spain
In her conflict with the Cuban rebels.
Il can furnish no further details of this
alleged treaty than that according to my
informant, it will include giving to Great
Britain the right to harbor and refit her
fleets In the Mediterranean ports of Spain.
The harbor of Cartagena is one of the finest
on the Mediterranean, and would shelter
the entire British navy.
The Salisbury Ministery has openly and
officially stated one of its chief reasons for
that extraordinary movement, the advance
on the Soudan, accepted as hostile by
diversion in behalf Of Italy. All Euroae
has in turn accepted this assurance as
proof OF England's sympathy with the
triple allance, and even Germany showed
appreciation of this fact by voting with
Italy and Austria to assist Eng;and's war
with the Khalifa."
France and Russia, on the contrary, are
ablaze with hostile indignation against Eng
land because of this movement. From all
this the importance of an Anglo-Spanish alli-
ance to Great Britain is obvious. Neither
Gibraltar nor Malta-Englands only two
ports on the Mediterranean-is capable of
either harbordng or refftting a fleet, but
with both the Italian and Spanish ports
thrown open TO the British navy the French
and Russia could hardly make junction
from the Black sea with the ships of her
French ally.
Britain should wish to make such an alli-
ance as above indicated. 1t would more
over. leave her in safe possession of Glib
raltar.''