Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-05-21
TALK OF GENERAL WAR.
Little Danger That 1t Will Be Along

Little Danger That 1t Will Be Along q
Latin and Anglo-Saxon Alignment.
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The reported predictions of certain
diplomats in Washington and London
that the conflict between the United
States and Spain will precipitate that
universal war which has been looked
forward to by Europe's statesmen for
many years past, need excite no con-
Germ in this country. 1t is merely a
variation and extension of the recent
rumors that continental Europe was
about to intervene in this struggle.
Intervention from that quarter, if it
took place, would favor Spain. 1t, OF
course, would not aim to prevent the
United States from freeing Cuba. No
combination of the continental Euro
pean nations which could be formed
would dare to tell the United States
to let Spain regain control of Cuba.
Cuba is forever lost to Spain. Every
nation in Europe, Spain included, sees
this, but the safety of the Spanish
dynasty demands that Spain make an
attempt to recover that colony. All
that continental Europe, if it inter-
vened, would seek to do, is to prevent
the United States from retaining the
Philippines, and from taking Porto
Rico and the Canary islands.
Manifestly there is not the faintest
probability of any such intervention,
and the forebodings of general war
war are vain. The only powers which
have shown the slightest degree of un-
friendliness to the United States are
France, Germany and Austria. Italy
| is indifferent in this conflict, aud Rus
sia is friendly. Some diplomats, it is
true, intimate that Italy leans toward
Spain. Italy belongs to the Latin
race, and for this reason a leaning on
her part toward Spain would he nat
ural. Some French newspapers have
tried TO create the impression that this
conflict between the United States and
Spain is fight between the Anglo
Saxon and the Latin, and if such a
conflict became general Italy would
naturally he on the side of Spain.
But Italy has strong and recent rea'
sons to dislike that country. There is
powerful prejudice in Spain against
the Italians. This feeling was one OF
the causes for the foolish hatred Of the
Spanish upper classes toward ANA
deus, the young savoy king who was
called to the Spanish throne shortly
after the expulsion of Isabella II, and
who was driven into abdication two
years later by revolts against his au'
thority, by social boycotts, and by
danger of assassination. Spain's harsh
treatment of Amadeus, who was a
brother of the present king of Italy,
reused a strong feeling of hostility in
Italy toward that country which the
quarter of a century of time since
Amadeus retirement has not entirely
removed.
This talk about the ''impending war
between the Saxon and Latin races
which emanates from French papers
and politicians will have disastrous
effect on the Latins if it is ever trans
muted into fact. Germany, Frances
partner in the intervention scheme, is
not a Latin country, but belongs to
the Saxon side. Austria is not Lat
in nation, nor is Russia. Each of these
two countries has more affinity for the
Saxons than for the Latins. If they
took sides at all in conflict on the
Latin race issue they would lean rath-
er toward the United States than TO
Spain. By drawing the ethnlc line
rigidly the Latins could muster Spain,
Portugal, France and Italy, which
would be a weak combination in case
of general war. Against them would
be the United States, Great Britain
and Germany, with Austria and Rus
sia leaning in our direction. In a con-
flict on that line the combined Latins
would be as feeble as their representa-