The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-20
An Understanding Reached That In
sures a Continuance of the Ira
ditiOnal Friendship,
TALK WITH Mr.. ROBINEAU
HE SAYS THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE
HAVE NO LOVE FOR SPAIN.
Adverse Criticisms a Surprise to the
Partisan JOurnalist-Lament
of the Press.

WASHINGTON, May 19-As the result Of
several recent exchanges between the off,
Gals of the State Department and those of
the French embassy AN agreeable under
standing has been reached which gives as
surance of a continuance of the traditional
friendship existing between the United
States and France. 1t has served to make
clear that each government has the fullest
confidence in the friendly attitude Of the
other and that any criticisms or animosi-
ties aroused by recent incidents in the war
have not been shared by the government
officials of either country. In the recent
exchanges the attitude of some of the
Partisan newspapers in criticism of the
United States, as well as those of this coun-
try in criticism of France, has been gone
over. 1t was pointed out by the State De-
partment officials that they had expressly
disclaimed any sympathy or Endorsement of
these criticisms, and that at most they
were private expressions, in no way reflect
| ing the feeling of the United States gov
eminent towards France On the other
| hand, the French authorities have given
| assurances that the French press criticisms
came from an unrepresentative class Of rad
| ical partisan newspapers, and in no way
represented that cordial sentiment enter
| tanned by the French government and
French people toward the United States. 1t
was shown, also, that the more influential
and representative journals, in touch with
the government, maintained the most
friendly tone towards this country. At the
same time all misapprehension on the
steamer Lafayette incident and the alleged
delay in official dispatches from Martinique
were cleared up. AS to the Lafayette, the
State Department never questioned the
good faith of the French authorities, and as
to the delay In dispatches, this was dis
posed of by the fact that the messages came
over the British not the French cable line.
Altogether, the recent exchanges have pro-
duced a pleasant impression on both sides
and a feeling that any apparent estrange-
ment between the two countries had been
overcome. ~
The State Department feels natural
pride in having avoided all serious foreign
embaTassments and arrangements such as
usually arise on the outbreak of war. Dur
ing the earlys days of the civil war foreign
embarrassments seriously crippled the ac-
ton of the government. but these have been
conspicuously lacking in the present war.
The thirty days limit prescribed in the
proclamation of April q expires in a few
days. This gave certain privileges to Span
ish ships and foreign shipping in general,
and it is said that the limit will expire with
out any serious controversies having arisen.
When this period is closed it is felt that the
danger of complications with reference to
foreign shipping is practically at an end.
dan+ifeS ;tb Parisia,9' i"I1rns1iem has arr
rived here. While representing LIE Temps
and LIE Matin, which are identified with the
French government, he also has a semi
official mission tot perform. He is accred-
tied by NJ Hanat6uX, the French minister
of foreign affairs, to the French embassy,
and through this official channel he has
been received at the White House and by
representative men of the administration.
M. Robineau is a type of the polished and
scholarly French Journalist, including Paul
Bourget Max O'Rell and Rochefort,, and
he has presented his views to publict men
with the characteristic force of a, French
man. AS result of his calls at the White
House M. Robineau's cables to the Partisan
papers will represent that the most cordial
feeling is entertained in the highest admin
French government and people. AT the
same time M. Robineau has given assur-
ment authorities of France entertain the
highest regard for the United States, and
no way feel a sympathy or friendship to
wards Spain in her present conflict with
this country. M. Robineau said to-day
1T is matter of the greatest surprise to
French people that this inexplicable feeling
of animosty should have arisen between
people who have been bound together by
the closest ties of friendship from the days
IL
What does it mean?' So far as France is
concerned I come directly from Paris and
am able to say that neither the French
government nor the French people have
any sympathies or friendship toward Spain,
while on the other hand, they have the
greatest possible friendship for the United
States. You hear of certain ilI-feeling in
Paris, but the cause of it is plain. The
French people invested about 800, 900
most every penny of it. 1t came out of the
pockets of the poor17-the butchers, bakers
to. that class Of people, who could least
afford to suffer it. Now this same class of
people has made another investment in
Spanish securities. While small part of
these securities is held by French capital
lists, the great bulk of it, about 400,O00,000
francs, is held by the poor people through
out France. Naturally with all these saw
ings invested in Spanish bonds, they look
upon war with Spain as threatening an
other loss such as that from the Panama
these people have for Spain, but it is simply
that they are terrified at the thought that
their pockebookS will be touched and their
little savings wiped out by Spain's conflict
with the United States. That is the basis
for any apparent sympathy in France to-
wards SPAIN 1t is the reason of sympathetic
utteranceS of some of the minor French
newspapers towards Spain. 1t is only the
tional and incendary, that utter these
views. The solid press of Paris, the semi
official press, expresses the view of the
French people at large, which is always
cordial to the United States and never
friendly to Spain.
why should France be friendly to Spain?
There is traditional enmity between them
Just as there is traditional friendship be-
tween France and the United States. Ever
since the days of Charles v France and
Spain have been estranged. It was a Span
ish woman, the Countess of Montero who
as the wife of Napoleon III, plunged France
into the disastrous war with GERMANY and
brought US all that humiliation l recall
in that connection when the Empress fled
from Paris on the republic being proclaimed
DR.. Evans of Philadelphia. then the court
dentist, and it only through respect to
this American that the crowd stood aside
and gave her respectful exit
''Those who say there is French an
tagonism to the United States should visit
the Partisan concert halls and see with
what respect and even enthusiasm the
American flag. is received when it appears
in the course of the acts. 1t shows where
the heart of the French people is and tells
more than columns from the bouleva rd
scribblers of Paris This apparent estrange-
ment between the two countries is due who'll
ly to a misunderstanding. If it goes on IL
from the foundation of the United States
Frenchmen do not want this to occur and
they are doing their best through official
and unofficial channels to preserve that
close friendship between the two republics
Mr.. Robineau has copies of letters ex-
cinnati and one in New York. The latter,
a French firm, made a proposition in con-
nection with the French exposition The
Cincinnati firm answered in part as follows:
las France has shown herself so decidedly
unfrendly to the United States since the
cline to have anything whatever to do with
Won In response to this the New York