The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-02
TRADED On THE QUIET
Inside History of the HiSpano-
German Island Deal.
PRIZE WON BY STEALTH
That Would Have Come as
Easily Above Board.

| NAeA OSS4SHS concerning what was LEFT
OF the possessions of Spain IN the Fal
Last, after the treaty with the United
States, in December. had deprived her OF
the Philippines, the Soulou isles, ard The
! island OF Guam in the MacaEas Archip.l
! ago. The relations between Spain end
! Germany, which had beeu s9r.lewha,
| strained both politically AMI Commercials
| since Madrid government a few wears
| ago allowed the opposition under the
| Duke Of Tetuan to wreck a very gJoI
! treaty OF commerce between tie tx.
| countries. subsequently imp.D5ei. e-pe.
! cia!ly during the Cuban and Philippine IT,
serrcctions, and even more 80 during re
war with the United States when the
| German government and Its represent q
| tives at Madrid and in Maril hardly dis
gLised their strong sympatlles for Spain.
The advances and al ,.;..ors of Ger.
man diplomacy very Giynl'iya1.'v III
| creased when the Berlin &C yernuen- rer-
ceived that the French gov,.rnme1. had
stolen a march by undertaking % defer J
Spanish objects and inte.es.s during the
war and by undertaking - act as a friend
y Intermediary in the preliminary neg5-
| uations that eliminated II tire subpenslon
o. hostihties and in the Washington pro-
tocol of August T. 1S9S. Fral,e continued
her assistance and demonstr acions Of SYM
pathy all the autumn until peace was re-
stored, and even afterwards until official
relations could be re-estabIished between
the governments of Spain and the United
States.
Germany took the field early in Deem
Der, directly the peace treaty was signed
at Paris The German ambassador, Herr
Won Radowitz, who was on very intimate
terms with the then minister for foreign
affairs, Duke AlmOdovar del Rio. imme-
diately made overtures TO ascertain on
what conditions Spain would cede her re-
mainirg possessions in the Pacific, las he
had only previously obtained the assur
ance that as soon as Spain had settled
with the States. her cabinet would give
Germany the preference as purchaser Of
those archipelagoes." Radowitz need not
have acted 50 quickly because ne was
aware that the Madrid government did not
feel at all disposed 70 cede those archi-
pelagoes to England anyhow, much less to
Japan. and not even to Russia or France,
the four powers that Germany dreaded as
bidders for the stations she wanted in the
Pacific. Peremptory ard precise instruc-
items from Berlin in the middle of De-
cember made Herr Radowitz secure a def
mite promise from Duke Almodovar and
from the premier, Senior Sagasta.
Then Duke Aln1edovar and Herr E7do-
WITT negotiated the terms OF the cession.
At the outset Germany offered the twenty
five millions Of pesatas for the three
groups OF islands. ard Spain tried TO get
more. but in vain. Then the first condi-
ton that the Madrid government laid most
stress on was the protection OF he reiig-
ious orders and Of the Catholic missions IN
the coded territories German diplomacy
readily assented to this because Herr Ra-
doTitz was aware that the queen and her
ministers were so anxious 10 please the
Vatican, the Church OF Spain ard the
powerful religious orders n the matter. (
1t Is an open secret in Madrid thar the
queen herself resisted with sincere and /
pathetic energy al attempts that Seniors /
Sagasta and MOret had made at the time /
II induce her IN assent 10 the carrying out /
the famous convention made by the Fill
pino inSurgent chiefs with Marshal Primo
de Rivera for the qualification in March. /
tailmert OF the unpopular power Of monks
and Jesuits The queen. in fact. IS not
only a ealous Catholic but. rightly or
wrongly. she seems firmly convinced that
her sons throne is better protected AGAINST
the-Carlists and their pretender by IN
limited concessions to the Vatican and hy
m ultramontane policy. Of whi5 the
symptoms are only too visible in the acts
4 a cabinet where Gen. Polaviea. Mar
luis Pid1l. and Senior Duran Das sit n
rirtue Of the court and church influences
hat obliged Senior Silvela to accept such
unpopular colleagues.
The Duke Of -Amod0var also insisted up
claiming in each archipelago a coalinE
station in time Of peace or war for the
Spanish navy and merchant service. and
lpon Spanish commerce and subjects get
ing in the Ceded Islands ulost-fay Ored-Ua-
ion treatment indefinitely. Herr Rado-
vitz. perCeiving that the disposition Of the
liberal government were very friendly
Ind coaciliaJory then preached the more
elicate question OF commercial relations
irect between Spain and Germany A. It
vas not deemed advisable = moor - soon
he idea ot another commercial treaty. ,
2. ,
he German imports on the same footing
: those OF Great Britain. France. lay
nd Belgium. whereas Germany still in
.icte5 up-n Spanish imports the differ
initial treatment her tariff enacted fo- "a
ions without treaties. Herr Rst7v1tz
bought i would be 4 clever st-4 X ~
.olicy 20 select such an cC. aston ts- G,r-
,acy q aprea- generous. lie. Therefore
4 ed simply n give Spain tEe most IA
orei treatment under the conventional
sriff. which r.easeG ths Nad.it govern
nent very much. as Spain ts n7w eagerly
- king for outlets for her exports -
lUch reduced by the icss - The c.'o1iss.
,i2all--. {; was agreed that Ibis improve
lent in the comne-yiaI relations Should
p made. later or. thu starting poiat OF
1rthe-' negotiations fc- a reciprocity .
really.
The cessi71 treaty and the agreement cor ;
ne improvement az direc- c,rus-clal re-
,ti,ns were signed OF Fe5rGa-y - lSs.
luke A,rodcy,sr and Her vr1 Ra60-
-.jz agreed that Ire treaty should ,e KEEP ,
Hs- suts!y secret until S-r5r Sas4sfs
5uld see his way % submit & 90 the ,
5-Jes with the prospect Il :. ttinS g;
uickly voted This he Eas unable - 81
the beginning # the session. q, The end
, February. - he met - u--5 ooocsi-
on on the other questions thar he lzd 20
.Sicr, early in March. As seor X sen
Silvela became premier ard tosaE charge
50 % TIE foreign Office. Herr RadoEiIE c
.ee-t-.