New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-05
NEWS HELD UNTIL STALE
UNCERTAINTIES OF POST AND TELE-
GRAPH IN SPAIN

CONTAMINATION WITH OTHER COUNTRIES IN
PEDED BY THE CENSOR AND BY MUCH RED
TAPE-DIFFrcTLrY OF SECURING
THE RETURN OF TOLLS ON
REJECTED MESSAGES.
Madrid letter In The London Daily Telegraph.
Why is tho once mighty Empire Of Spain re-
duced to the last stages Of decay and rapidly
approaching dissolution? The Spaniards are
still among the most noble minded sympathetic
and intelligent peoples of the civilized world;
they are Natures gentlemen" and possess an
aesthetic taste capable OF a high degree OF de-
velOpment and a number OF noble traits and
rare qualities which. under the guidance Of or
dlnarily competent rulers. should and would en-
title them still 10 occupy place higher than
that OF Italy in the hierarchy OF nations. But
ordinarily honest and competent rulers are not
TO be had. II Is a case Of God providing the
food and the devil supplying the cooks. The
administration is the ruin of the country and
the people a Spaniard is patriotic to such
degree that he is quite capable of sacrificing his
entire income. his family and himself for the
good Of his country at n critical period OF It's
history. The official, the other hand, is
eaten up with egOtism. and is not always even
moderately prompt and capable. For the mo-
ment choose a very tame illustration, the ad-
ministration Of the posts and telegraphs and
here | shall confine myself TO facts OF my
experience.
There is but one foreign post daily both ways
TO and from Madrid. 1t leaves at D. m. and
a letter confided to the letterbox stands no
better chance Of reaching the aGdressee than
does posted in COnstantinople, Erzeroum
or Trebizpnd Indeed. the odds are strongly In
favor Of the latter. | am speaking in the light
Of numerous and significant facts. OF course
one may register ones correspondence, and then
the letter may arrive or 1t may not II II does
not you entoy the right Of demanding compen-
saton. hut before you have done with petition
ing demanding. visiting. explaining. calling
again. etc. you will have worn out more boots.
spent more money in pens. ink and paper and
sacrificed more Of your time than the damages
fixed for ten lost letters would compensate, and
you give UP the enterprise in despair long be-
for you see the color Of the money OF the ad-
ministraton. Besides. you cannot register
letter after p. m; so that from that hour
your correspondence Is practically at an end. II
a packet is sent 70 you by post you do not re-
ceivc II at your house, but are favored with ar
invoice instead. which informs you that there
is but one hour Of the twenty-four during
which You may claim the packet and-wait I'LL
you get H.
NEWS AWAITS THE CENsORS PLEASURE.
Put by far the most interesting process is that
of teegra phng political news to a foreign jour
nal. Here you pick up original and quaint IDEAS
as 10 the way How Not 70 Do It. which are
bracing and refreshing tn English speaking peo-
pies First OF ALL OF course. you must get your
Information. then write your telegram, and
lastly. hand il in. The mere act or forwarding
il seems n trihe inasmuch as Spain and Eng
Land are connected by direct cable. Now IL Is
extremely difficult to obtain any Information
worth having before 3 or o'clock In the
afternoon. For the Spaniards-those at least VINO
make history-are by no means early risers. and
Ministerial Councils and other State gatherings
occur generally between 3 and u p. m Yet q
televraphic message TO London handed in at
the heed Office in Madrid at $50 o'clock In the
afternoon. frequently reaches London az the
same hour next morning. when II Is absolutely
worthless And tho direct cable between spain
and England? The cable plays but a relatively
small part in the delay. The Royal lnGuisltor,
known as the censor. is the man mainly respon-
slble FOR this wOful waste OF time. He Is not
always at home nor Is he. perhaps, always IN
the humOr for censuring and criticisng, and the
messages must wait until he is disengaged ana
in the mood
But why should there not he many ccnsors?
First % all indeed, wonders why there
should he any Spain s constitutional coun-
try and al present is governed by the Liberal
party. which holds high the banner OF freedom
and fraternity. and makes war upon all me
old World abuses OF despotism. conservatism.
etc Yet for all that. there ia censor-nay'
such a strict censure as has been unknown IN
/ Russia since the days Of Nicholas ]. and Is
paralleied only in the Turkish Empire OF to-day.
A mere word TO which tho censor reasonably
/ or unreasonaby objects is enough 10 rum
telegram OF a thousand words 10 wnich ne as
SCENTS Thus forwarded a most important mos
sage Yesterday which with the utmost diihculty
I was enabled 10 hand in at p. m. The facts
n contained dealt with the resolutions adopted
by the Cabinet Council AT the END there was
one short sentence to the effect that, according
10 rumor current in journalistic circles or the
genital II was expected that the Spanish officers
L
and walk HON. in silence By way OF patriotic
demonstration This was absolutely true Inc
/ rurnor was current everywhere. / sent on the
message at 3 r. m sharp. and mentioned the
/ time in the telegram. Shortly after ! O'Clock
next morning received "A communication from
the chief 81 the telegraph 10 the eject tnat
! owing 10 the sentence about the projected mani
fss,afion he had detained my message but
that IT, on reflection, considered that | could
! modify that particular passage, the telegram
would he dulv sent on, After ten hours had
/ elapsed and the news had become utterly worth
! less.
GERMAN DISPATCHES SLIP THROUGH.
| or course a censor is only n man. and cannot
| therefore do the work of ten men a. once. what
/ ton censors could do In one hour one censor
/ This would be obviated II the Government
/ emploved several officials to read the messages
OF correspondents to their Journals But span
iards who understand. nay, who have an mixing
even OF any foreign tongue, are lncredlpy
few Even French Is Greek 10 most or the
educated classes Of officials. journalists and poll
ficlans still there are several VINO Kho"
French but very few. indeed. who have even
! n smattering Of English. hence the length OF
/ time II takes 70 censure an English message In
general therefore, the matter stands thus; There
/ il little news 10 he had before ) p. m, and
! telegram handed In at $50 =. m. Will most likely
roach London late Cor the mOrrows paper
/ That Is one aspect Of the matter Tho Germans
however are much better OF. Their language
! is given up as a bad job by All Spanish officials
and no attempt whatever Is made 10 censure
kilograms I'm that language. To prove this the
! following experiment was lately resorted 10 IN
nv presence. Two Identical telegrnms were
! banded In at the office tho one In German and
the other in French Next day the latter was