The record-union., 1898-06-01

than q mere Oatn OF arrogance TO Uncle
Sam, more even than the lapse of a
generation. to transform the foreign
stock into the full-fledged American ar
ticle
Racial prejudices, Nationalist associ-
ations and esprit de corps are very
strong. How strong they are is shown
by the attitude of the South American
repeublics in the present controversy
between the United States and Spain.
Nearly every one of the South Ameri-
can republics, from Mexico down to
Chile and Paraguay owes it's inde
pendence and its liberation from
thraldom even worse than that to
which Cuba is subject to the material
assistance and moral support of the
United States. Cuba, in fact, is to-day
in the same position as that in which
it found itself in the first few decades
Of the present century. And one would
therefore be tempted to think that the
South American republics would SYM
pathiZe with Cuba rather than with
Spain in the present crisis Yet it is
Quite the contrary that is the case, and
the dominant classes from the Rio
Grande down to Patagonia are almost
to a man strongly in favor of SPAIN
This is because all the most influential
families, in fact all those who have
the wealth and the power in their
hands, are of Spanish descent jealously
proud thereof and only too glad when
they visit the Old World to claim re-
lationship with their kinsfoll in Spain,
as we'll as to avail themselves to the
fullest degree of the titles, dignities and
social advantages of the Spanish
houses Of the aristocracy to which they
belong. Those who are not of noble
Spanish descent pretend to be so, and
are even more pronounced in their
sympathy for everything Spanish
True, it is unlikely that any of them
would relish the idea of a restoration
of Spanish sovereignty in South Am
erica, or would like to be subject
thereto. And they are very glad to
take advantage Of all the benefits of
republican form Of Government But
save for this, they are still Spaniards
to the very core, even though some Of
them can look back to several genera
tions of ancestors born on American
soil; and not only have they no SYM
pathy with the Cubans. whom they
denounce for seeking the assistance of
the United States, just as they them
selves did at the time of their war of
liberation, but they likewise manifest
all the animosity of the fellow-mem
bers OF their race in Europe against
Uncle Sam, several Of the big cities Of
South America having actually gone
SO far as to get UP popular subscrip-
tions for the sake of helping the mother
country to buy warships to fight the
United States.
INDICATIONS OF A GENERAL. WAR
Another reason why the consideration
or these questions is timely is because
the last TWO years OF the present CEN
tury bid fair to witness a revival Of
tnat same species of general war that
signalized the close of the last CEN
Jury ana the opening Of the present
one. The recent crisis in China and
the imminence of hostilities between
the United States and Spain have mo-
nopolized public attention to such an
extent that the very serious and alarm
ing condition of affairs elsewhere has
in a great measure been overlooked.
thus Russia is not only threatening
to install Prince George of Greece as
Governor-General or else as sovereign
Prince, of Crete by main force if the
/ d
the demands Of the Gar but likewise
intimates that sheshas no longer any
intention Of remaining bound by the
stipulations of the so-called Black Sea
treaty, which debars her from sending
any Of her warships through the Dar-
danelles Straits, thus practically lock-
ing her southern fleet in the Black
Sea and preventing her other cruisers
from obtaining any access thereto.
There are many indications Of a
struggle being imminent between Rus
sia and Turkey, notably the massing
OF Russian troops on the Armenian
frontier and the transfer Of the victori-
Gus Turkish commander. Edhem Pasha,
from Thessaly to the Macedonian
frontier Of Bulgaria. French states
men are publicly discussing the ne
cessity of their country being prepared
to enforce their claims for territorial
compensation when on the death oil
Emperor Francis Joseph the Austro..
Hungarian Empire falls to pieces, il
being the object of France to insist on
the restoration of Alsace- Lorraine in
return for permitting Germany to take
Bohemia. Germany, on the other hand,
is equally unblushing in declaring that
she will not be satisfied until she gets
Holland Belgium, the German prov
inces of Russia and the German prov
inces Of Austria. Italy is clamoring
more loudly than ever for the possess
sion OF the Italian provinces of Austria,
while the new Norwegian Cabinet,
which has just taken office at Chris
tiania, is composed entirely Of men who
are avowedly in favor Of a separation
from Sweden, by force of arms if nec-
essary
But most serious Of all are the
strained relations between Germany and
France, which are more strained at the
present moment than at any time since
the war of 1870 This is entirely due
to the Zola trial, concerning which Ger
many has yet to be heard. Both Prince
Hohenlohe, the venerable Chancellor of
the German Empire, and subsequently
the Kaiser's Minister Of Foreign Affairs.
Baron Won Bulow. solemnly affirmed in
the name of the Emperor and on their
honor, in the Reichstag, that ex-Captain
Dreyfus had never done any spying on
behalf OF Germany. 1t Is known that
even William himself pledged his word
to this effect to M. Casimir-Perier. who
was President Of the French Republic at
the time of the Dreyfus court-martial.
Yet in spite of this, the chiefs Of the
French headquarters staff, notably Gen.
eral De Boisdeffre, General De Pellieux
and General Billot, the Minister Of War,
did not hesitate to insist during the Zola
trial that the treachery of Dreyfus had
been perpetrated on behalf Of the Ger
man War Department.; that is to say,