The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-10-27
SPAIN HUNTING FRIENDS.
philadelphia Public Ledgcr.)

The alliance between Spain and POr-
tusai, reported 10 be pending, would
not strengthen Spain very materially.
but IT is Of some interest OH this side of
the water, as all Spanish movements are
at this time. The proximity of Portugal
TO Spain seems 10 make n close alliance
hetwcen the countries desirable for MI
purposes, and even the merging OF I'or-
tuSal in the larger country may be
feasible In the course Of time, nutwilh-
standing the fact that Portugal sue
cessfully revcltcd against it's Spanish
masters In the seventeenth century,
after sixty years union.
The population OF Portugal Is about
mat OF Canada, and it mas Increased
only about per cent in ten Years,
Spain world gain Il little strength in
warfare by an alliance with, or by the
absorption Of this rctrOyrrssivc little
country The army strength OF Portu-
siil is lao,O0O OH Il war footing The
navy consists OF one armored cruiser
TWO second class protected cruisers in
process CT building, and thirty vessels
which may be regarded as third class
cruisers. all OF thrm slow and few OF
tnein new. The Portuguese navy is
also equipped with two torpedo gun
boats and twenty torpedo boats. fifteen
naval programme OF Portugal contam-
plates the building of two c,prlscrs two
coast defence irOnciads, and n number
or corvcitcs and GunbOats and trans
ports. The programme is rather anibi-
tlouS Tor IL country with meagrc imam
cial resources. The most implr,n,t
war vessel belonging 10 PORTUGAL mt
present Is the armorrd NaSco dl CANA
built In England about twenty three
years ago. Her displacement is . ,03
tons. The sailors in the Portuguese.
navy number 1900. The country has u
commercial ;RNy of about nifty steam
ers 'P'"
I'he colonial population of Portugal
is about MS numerous as that of ,hc
mother country. She claims the rrr
cariouS allegiance of 100000 Africans
ana about l,0O0,000 Nsiatics Ordinarily
II requires only 10000 native ,;roops to
h'u.htain Portuguese sway in Africa
anh .A5ia1 LFar area Of Portugal is 81
oov square miles. but the area OF hnr
African and Asiatic II.scssIons is
'loOtp square miles. This relatively
vast Portuguese colonial empire would
cohulhu'e iittlcfo Spanish power under
,.'e projected all9ancc with Portugal.
Many ol ines" ior;neucs2 dependencies.
IKE ihosc CT Spain. are in a state az
:,
so ~,
Portugal, like Srain, has too LARGO :,
proportion OF t.li;cratcs to be n forcrruI
power IN the worlds affairs. The u,nu
iallon Ef Portugal. as before npir1 ,Inne
not vary greatly from that OF Canal,
The postofiicc reports Of the two conn
tr!cS emphasize the difference hatwrnr
well-dcvclopcd modern Stats orI
Gouh'ric:' OF the class 10 which Spain
ana Portugal belong. In Canada in
1879 more than lr0,0Oo,C00 letters uassoii
LhEcuSh ihe poSt"ilicc. while in PORTUGAL
III tnat year there were - 600 G0O Tn
business OF telegraph lines is ,nn,h,r
modern index OF the business artlvi.y
OF nation. The Portuguese pa;rnniyn
the telegraph lines to the cx.lnt Of
about ] 100000 messages annually. Will.
the Canadians sent 1880. 900 Iness,ras
III 1871. The SpaniardS sent only ;3nO :
0cO telegraph messages in 1894. So fnr
as the intellectual and commercial ID.
velopmert Of the two countries is con
cerned. Spain and Portugal are natu,,oy
allies, ana IN many other TesDrcts Tho
telnDlaicd alliance would b.. OF easy
Accomplishment. Spain is anxious in
her extremity to cultivate as MANY in
ternatFonal friendships us psssible,
Portugal Is among the smallest anu
most insignificant of nations. yet she
might in certain contingencies contrib
ute some soldiers to the waninr
strength OF the Spanish armies. and her
little navy and merchant marine might
aid in some measure Il foray of the
Spanish navy against the commerce OF
an enemy. The projected alliance t.; i'm
poItant as n Symptom of the Spanish
desire 10 cultivate international friend
ships at this junctu-c
At the installation OF Lord Arayor
Horat!o David Davis in London, on
November 9. 4 model Of the British