The Indianapolis journal., 1898-03-13
While France Could Not Assist the
Africa and the Far East.
EUROPEAN PRESS COMMENT
OPINIONS OF MADRID, LONDON, BIER
LIN AND PARIS EDITORS.
Spain Preparing to Equip Privateers
Lesson for Foreigners.

Lesson for Foreigners.
| NEW YORK, March 12-The Mail and
Express prints to-day the following cable
| gram from London: 1.-THE acute crisis be-
| tween the United States and Spain is the
uppermost topic everywhere in London No
one, seems seriously % believe that war can
| be avertsd. The great newspapers are
making elaborate preparations for war
| correspondents. am told by an Admiralty
| official that two or three British war ves-
| sells with complete schools of naval officers
on board will be detailed to cruise in the
vicinity Of the Spanish and American fleets
| so as to be able to take every possible OBJ
servation. The war between Japan and
| China was revelation of the extraordinary
powers of modern marine warfare, and it is
firmly believed in London that the American
authorities possess some wonderful new dis
coveries in the way of engines of destruc-
tion 1t is believed here that the American
| authorities will be inundated with requests
from English army officers and ex-officers
for volunteer commissions, although beyond
Cuba it is hardly to be supposed that the
American army will do very much invad-
!
nent are in the main sympathetic with the
| Americans. The destruction OF the Maine,
whether by accident or design, seems to
have settled that 1t is believed here that
| if Spain goes to war she will be in a condi-
ton of utter isolation. The only country
which would give her moral support would
perhaps be Austria. Even there, however,
! Spain can expect no material aid. The
! Austrian government is too much occupied
with internal troubles to extend material
| assistance"
Taken in connection with the foregoing
the following dispatch from Berlin is Sig
niflcant: ''The Berlin Foreign Office has in
structed the inspired press to deny emphat-
ically that Germany will aid Spain in case
| of war with the United States, and has in
structed these newspapers to point out that
the United States is an excellent customer
of Germany and that Spain since the Car
olinas squabble has repeatedly shown un-
friendliness to Germany.
1t has been repeatedly rumored that
France would assist Spain in case of war,
but there has been no statement to that eff
| feet from even a semi-officiaI source. A few
bankers Of Paris who have been nipped by
buying Spanish bonds have been endeavor-
ing to secure the republics support, but it
is extremely doubtful if they succeed.
France has too many irons in the fire to
give aid to any other power. The situation
in the far East is critical and so are affairs
in Africa besides, she has troubles at
| home, and there is Germany, with an ever
watchful eye on her border A dispatch
from Paris, evidently inspired by the hold
| ers of Spanish securities, says: lie Paris,
| in it's issue to-day, says: "The European
! concert which prevented the partition of
Turkey owes it to Spain not to allow her to
become the first victim of Pan-AmeTican-
| ISM
| The Madrid correspondent of the Associ-
| ated Press, writing under date of Feb 27,
says The Globo, a government organ,
says: "It appears that the Maine affair has
| been abandoned, but only in order to make
| way for fresh causes of alarm. 1t now ap-
pears the turn of expected friction likely to
arise is when the North American consulate
reports on the state of the rebellion are
made public by that government. We do
not, however, think that even in this
choice of a subject a good selection has
been made, for both that government and
our own, knowing full well the influence
the jingoes bring to bear on those officials,
will have to make considerable deductions
from their reports, as have, indeed, to be
the jingo-inspired reports of the consul gen.
| eral, Mr.. Lee. But, SO far as the Maine is
concerned it may be said that, as a con-
tentious matter, it has ceased to exist
The Impartial, Liberal, devotes an article
to reproduction once more of the grievances
Spain has against the United States for
alleged interference in Cuban affairs. After
recapitulating all the incidents on which it
relies it says: "Is the singular phenome-
non that every time Spain makes renewed
effort to maintain her sovereignty in Cuba
fresh and threatening proposal against our
nation is made in Congress a mere fancy of
ours? Is it merely an illusion of ours that
during the last two years, namely in 1896
and 1897, three shifts of workmen, by toll
ing night and day, have turned out for serv-
ice the battle ships Iowa, of II, 800 tons; the
Massachusetts, Indiana and Oregon, of TO-
200; Texas, of $500, and the cruisers Brook
lyn, Maine and several others, being the
best ships that the Republic possesses? In
all that we have mentioned, which is every
word true, and capable of proof at any
hour is there reason for confidence or sus-
picion? Is there in it cause to ask the
Spanish government to be forewarned and
prepared or to go quietly to sleep? For our
part we believe we have fulfilled a sacred
duty and If Senior sagasta pays attention
to our seasoned judgment. sooner or later
we shall see the result"
Commenting on President McKinleys pa
cihc utterances, the Correo says: THE
Presidents attitude, his declaration in fa-
vor of peace and his temporizing with Spain
arise not alone from the necessity Of DEM
onstratng before Europe that the United
States is not the provoker, but that they
have done all in their power TO maintain
peace. Most of all do they arise from Nc
Kinley's knowledge that until now the
United States has not hsen = v.arlike na-