Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-05-25
Decisions of the Dons.

DelusiOns of the Dons.
What is amusing to Americans may
result very seriously to the Spaniards.
The profound ignorance of the Span.
ish masses as regards the people OF
this country and our resources has
been often commented upon. The
worst feature OF this state of affairs
is that those high in authority, as
well as the press, seek to delude the
Spanish people and resort to the bas-
est kind OF falsehOods to keep them
ignorant of any reverses they have
met with. Long before the Spanish
fleet left Cape Verde the impression
prevailed that the fleet had sailed and
was in American waters. But even
those high in authority OF command
are prone to underrate our military
and naval strength. Before Dewey
reached Manila Admiral Montejo
cabled Madrid that he was preparing
to go out and destroy Dewey's fleet,
and it is stated as a fact that his
boats We're manned with double
crews i'm order to take possession OF
our cruisers as prizes after the en-
gagement.
Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, former min
lister at Madrid, was recently inter-
viewed and talked very entertaining
ly on this point. He said while
Americans did not know all about
Spain, they We're better read and in
formed as to thatcountry than Span
iards We're of America. While Mr..
Sickles had no doubt of the outcome,
he thought Spain would hold out
longer than most people imagined.
They were taught to fight, if nothing
else, and look upon it as an honor
able and worthy employment. Speak
ing of the ignorance that prevails rs
regards our country, MI. Sickles says:
zone cannot avoid the conclusion
that there is systematic and willful
Misrepresentation of the United
States on the part OF the Spanish
leaders. Why this is SO is hard TO
say, but it accounts for the gen.
eral misinformation that obtains
throughout Spain on this particular
subject. Well-educated Spaniards be-
lieve that there is a small cultured
class in the United States, but that
as a nation we are made up chiefly OF
shopkeepers and ditchdiggers." He
says they have been told over and
over again that we have no courage,
that we are afraid to fight, that our
navy is useless, or nearly SO, and that
our leaders are all blow-hard poll
ticians. Naturally, they have come
to believe this and confidently expect
to whip us. As fOrthe lower classes,
they actually believe that the princi-
pal industry of America is the raising
of hogs. and at the word Americanos
they conjure up visions OF swineherd-
ers and their droves.
This probably accounts for their
pet appellation of pigs" whichis so
i'm Havana.
The general relates the following
instance to give an idea of the pOpu-
misconception about this coun-
try: "A comic paper has just been
in Madrid. 1t is called The
Porker, and is devoted to the ridicule
of Americans. The title does not
seem at all crude or exaggerated to
the average Spaniard, I'll warrant.
The other day the Spanish press
printed a report that the savages OF
Ohio and Illinois had risen and that
the regular troops would have to-
be called from the seaboard to quell
the outbreak. From what L know of
the state of public information in
Madrid, l dare say this story didn't
raise a smile of incredulity in all the
unless it was in the case of
some American-born resident. 1t
seems to be the settled policy of the
Spanish officials and newspapers to
rather than to dispel this
Therefore the Spanish
people are likely to experience a rude
awakening before this war is over,
awakening that may be fraught
with danger to these same officials"
1t is quite likely that before the
close of the present war Spain will be
on many points regard
ing this country. 1t will prove a
school. but one in which not
only Spain. but other foreign powers
will be shown, as the old general
that the Americans are strong
in righteousness, just and brave
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