The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-07-21

of France, 1t is also true that many
Americans sympathized with Ger
many in that memorable war, and that
no overt act of the American govern
ment or people violated neutrality,
and further that French sympathies
came easy to a people that had been
materially aided by France in that
very war of independence.
Why, then, this sudden access of ill
will toward the American people in
their present struggle with Spain I?
For that there is very pronounced
animosity shown is evident. One can
not go to beershop in this city nor to
a public garden, to a concert or thea
ter, without becoming aware of that
fact. All around one hears sarcastic,
ill-natured, abusive remarks at the ex-
pense of America or Americans. In
private conversation, too, nothing
but specious arguments are advanced
against this war, which is represented
as due to incessant provocation and
bullyragging on the part of the Ameri-
can people. None but base motives are
attributed to the United States in
of which the average German has an
entirely erroneous opinion-and lot
of "Yankee spectators" being blamed
for it. Another very significant fact
is that the German press, with but few
exceptions, is unanimously against
America in this war, too. And this,
mind you, despite the fact that the
German government from the first
has been friendly to the United States.
From positive knowledge that has
come to me know that at the out
break of the war the German foreign
Office gave out to all those editors hay
ing connection with it or obtaining in
formation there as the cue of the gov
eminent to emphasize the good rela-
tions of the two countries ever since
the establishment of the republic at
the end of the last century, to dwell
on the important commercial rela-
tions obtaining between them, and to
also point to the presence in the
United States of millions of people of
German birth or descent. Nothing was
said in these inspired papers of Ger
many's relations with Spain, but any,
body at all conversant with Germany's
recent history knows that CONNER.
cially they are unimportant, and that
politically they have been rather
strained for the past 20 years or more.
That Spain sympathized very outgpok-
emily with France during the war of
1870 is well known. That she began
quarrel with Germany about the DOS
session of the Carolinas, a group of
islands perfectly worthless to Spain,
quarrel which finally was adjusted
by the arbitration of the pope, will
also be remembered. The tariff war
which Spain began with Germany still
more recently, and whose conse-
quences are still felt, is less generally
known; yet that, too, was a plain evil
dence of Spanish hostility toward Ger
many. Under these circumstances even
the widest pro-SpanishN sympathizer
in Germany is unable to say that Spain
ever reciprocated that sentiment, or
that Spain ever did anything as ma
ton for which Germany owes her
thanks.
To be quite fair all around, I will
mention what has been told me by
educated, fair-minded Germans when
asked them the reason of this un-
deniable animosity. They said, first,
that Spain is a monarchy, and the
United States q republic, and this
fact, with q people Of such intense
monarchism as the Germans of to-day
are, means much, For with a large
portion Of the German people, the