The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-21
Has Spain an Ally in Europe2

mas Spain an Ally IN EUROPE
Two London newspapers, the Spectator
and the Saturday Rerietr, neither of which
is friendly to Spain, express the belief that
the Madrid Government has been assured
of assistance from France In the event Of
a wal with the United States. They at.
tribute to an apprehension of danger from
this source the alleged reluctance Of our
Executive to take any measures in behalf
of the Cuban revolutionists that might
bring about a conflict between this coun-
try and Spain.
We do not hin that there has ever been
any ground for such a belief, and we are
confident that there is none now. There Is
no doubt that the major portion of the
Spanish bonds, based on the revenues Of
Cuba, are held in France, and it is quite
conceivable that the bondholders would
like the French Government to pursue a
course that would tend to avert the ami.
hilation of their securities. 1t Is also true
that the great banking houses of Paris nave
exercised in late years much moro influ.
ence in Ministerial circles than they pos
sessed when French wal vessels were for
hidden to take part in the bombardment of
Alexandria. Nor can it be denied that al
most the whole of the Paris press, notori.
ously venal as 1t is, has been induced to
plead the cause of Spain and to carp at the
United States ever since the recognition of
Cuban belligerency has been mooted in Con.
gress. Nevertheless, We do not believe that
even six months ago, when, as yet, the
anti-Semitic agitation had attained no cor.
siderable momentum, the French Govern.
ment would have ventured to promise sup.
port to Spain In the event of q war with
our republic. President FAURE and Pre-.
mier MELINE are known to regard us with
cordial friendship, and, even were their
feelings inimical, they would be con.
strained to conceal them, for n large ma.
jority of the Chamber of Deputies are
bound to us by ties Of ardent traditional
alive of the mass of the French nation.
Improbable, however, as was at any time
the conclusion of an alliance between
france and Spain at the instigation of
French investors in Spanish securities,
such a transaction is now impossible, for
the principal holders of those bonds are
among the chief targets of the anti-Semitic
agitation which, nfiamed to fury by the
lola trial, has exposed them to threats of
personal violence. No international COM
bination, presumed to be in their interest,
could have at this ~conjuncture the slight.
est chance of success. In the present temper
OF the Paris populace, the query Cui bono2
would be fatal to a proposal of cooperation
with Spain against the United States, and,
probably, would place it's advocates In a
dangerous predicament.
We believe, then, that even II France
were In a position to act independently, in
stead of being compelled to heed the suR-
g~estions of another power as regards her
foreign policy, there would still be no
grounds for the predictions of the Spectator
and the Saturday Reriew. The reasons,
however, for di%screditing their pessimistic
forecast are immensely fortified by the fact
that no step in the direction of a coalition
with Spain would be taken by France with
out a predatory consultation with Russia.
1t is quite incredible that the present Car,
to further the interests Of a knot of French
bondholders, would sacrifice the relations
Of peculiar amity with the United States
which his predecessors were at such pains
to create. Even il the st. Petersburg Gov.
ernment were disposed to renounce its old
friendship for ourselves, it would be inca
pable of committing an act of stupendous
folly. In no other word could we describe
an act the almost certain effect of which
would be to drive US into the arms of Eng.
land, a power that desires our cooperation
in the Chinese i%mbroglio, and that, as re- |
cent incidents have indicated, would prob |
ably seize the opportunity of wiping out, |
once for all, by n convincing proof of sym.
pathy. the long list Of grievances which we |
have accumulated against her for more
than a hundred years.
There seemed to be, at one time, a posi-. |
bility that Spain might not look in vain |
for countenance, and even material aid, to |
the countries composing the Triple ALI.
ance. The Queen Regent, CHRISTINA, is |
an Austrian archduchess, and not only
must the Hapsburg Kaiser regard her, in
her present difficult situation, with keen
sympathy, but he may also view the United
States with some aversion when he recalls |
the tragical fate of his brother MAxMIL-
IAN. 1t would be quite In consonance, |
moreover, with the character of the present
German Emperor should the Queen Re.
gents predicament arouse his chivalrous
instincts, and there Is certainly no
reason to suppose that he loves the
United States. The days, however, of
knight-errantry are passed, and WILLIAM
II. is not the man to sacrifice his pro.
gramme of colonial aggrandizement for
the sake of succoring a princess In distress.
He is likely to need in the far East every
warship at his disposal. and he is not rash
enough to force the United States into a
coalition, With Great Britain and Japan,