The times., 1898-03-06
ROBINSON & CHERRY CO.
i1th and F SIS. \. ".
SPAIN As SHE Is.
An English survey OF the Govern
meat, the Army and the Navy.


We may hear the question put wheth-
er Sagasta can save Spain. The task
would be an easy one indeed if this
typical southern parliamentary politi-
clan could achieve it. From the day
that he appeared in public life as q
raging progressive" only to prove
when he did attain office that he could
govern by all the brutal methods of
Narvaez. tin now, Don PraNedes Mateo
Sagasta has never made or maTred
ANYTHING. To float into office, TO set
tie nothing. to let the solution come
of itself-these have been his methods
IN all times.
Now he is oId-he was born at Tor
recilia de Comeros in lS2S-and IN oaa
health. Much Of his time he passed IN
bed. II would be strange if the "dregs
Of life" Of this southern parliament
man were to supply Spain with what
THE first sprightly running could not
give" The question is whether Spain
viii be lost. though Sagasta fall TO the
utmost. There is no reason why she
should.
In this century she has lost all her
colonies on the mainland of America.
Between 1920, the date Of Riego's MS
ing. and the conclusion OF the last Car
list war in 1876, she went through more
than half a century Of civil war ana
military agitation. Yet today the pop
ulation is probably twice what ii was
ninety years ago, and the material
wealth II the nation very much great
er. The loss OF Cuba, and even an
other period OF domestic disorder would
probably be no more fatal than were
the revolt Of possessions which once
stretched from New Mexico and Texas
TO the TERRA del Fuego, the insurrec-
tion Of 1920 and all its long train OF
consequences. the French Intervention,
the endless conflicts Of Liberales with
Sefviles and Apostolicos, Of Cristinos
with Carlists. the pronunciamentos,
and al the series Of confused conflicts
which have made up the outward Pc
litical history Of Spain in this century.
On one condition IL might even be the
contrary of a disaster. II the loss OF
the Pearl Of the Antilles aroused Span
iards at last TO a sense Of the need
there is for them TO alter their view
Of the relations which should exist be-
tween themselves and their government
the uses Of adversely viii be sweet.
The Spanish navy contained num-
her Cf vessels. some built abroad and
Others constructed by an English firm
which has been induced, at an enorm-
Gus cost TO the country, TO establish
ward at Bilbao. On paper ii looked
vel. but its real condition was reveal
GO bv the loss Of the Reina Regente-
This vessel. a fine new cruiser, which
was reported to have made nineteen
knots an hour on its way out to Spain
from Glasgow, was lost when coming
back from Tetuan, where she had gone
TO land the Moorish ambassadors. II
is universally believed that she upset
because she was not sufficiently bal
lasted
Her captain had warned the authori-
ties that Unles she was filed up with
coal she would be unstable. Yet the
dockyard at Cadiz vas SO poor in this
indispensable part Of the stores Of a
modern fleet that the Reina Regente
was sent out with just as much coal
as would take her 10 the African coast
and back again.
on her way home she ran into gale,
and now she lies at the bottom Of the
sea with all her crew.
Her story is. as Carlyle would have
said. significant Of much. Behind what
ever show Of strength q Spanish gov
ernment may make on paper there is
the want Of something else. be it stores
OF training for its men, or even the mer
themselves. which is needed for eff
cheney.
BY the nature Of things the army j:
q more real force than the navy Th'
command of some army is a necessary
condition for the existence Of any gov
ernment in Spain. Therefore. ii is Il
q certain extent a real force. II ma!
even be allowed that not a little ha.
been done 10 improve The quality o
the Spanish army.
sill. when The call for more soldier
came from cuba there were not trained
men enough 10 send without leaving
the mother country destitute Of troops
j was necessary 10 call out masses o.
cCnscripts and send them. The disci
pinned men were kept at home para
10 que OccuTiere" Gn case anything
should happen 1t was the quintos
the unpracticed conscrlpts, VINO wer.
sent Indeed, 80 little had the Spanlsl
government ayailed itself of thos
eighteen years of peace 10 put its ar
maments in order that its soldiers wer
stil armed with The Remington
Here again We have another exam
pie of that want OF foresight IN prepa
ration. which condemns the Spaniard
TO improyise all" at the eleventh h0m
Given now country which endure
its government as a necessary evil, il
which there is TO governing class, n
strong dynasty. and where there ar
no common principles OF action, i'm
pose upon IL a constitutional machin
cry which the vast majority of pe0pl
d. not understand. and what is likel
20 cnsue2 Nothing can ensue eXcep
the rule Of the briEand masqueradin
as soldier, and the attorney species
the iutriguers and takers.
There are limits 10 8he evil they ca
do As the despOt is limited by assas
sinati0n. SO The mere parliamentary in
triguers can be limited by fear Of IN
murderous wrath which win burst on
when human nature is driven too IA
Therefore, in the scuff7ing Of kites an
crows which make up Spanish parlia
mentai-y history. the parties take car,
more or less well. 10 make Il possibl