New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-16
THE LATIN CONGRESS.
TO MEET IN MADRID NEXT MONTH TO
FORM AN ALLIANCE
THE PROJECT FOR AN ECONOMIC POLITICAL.
AND MILITARY UNION AGAINST THE
ANGLO-SAXON NATIONS

mands the attention of all thoughtful people in
the United States as well in the British EN-
plre- There are two reasons why its proceedings
cannot fail to prove OF interest to this country
In the first place the object the convention has
In view is one of the consequences of the war
with Spain, while secondly, its purpose is the |
formation Of an alliance, economic political and
military, of all the nations of Latin origin |
against the English speaking world-that is to !
say, against the United States and Great
Britain.
The organizers of the congress- Senior Sagasta |
hrst and foremost, insist that the aims of the
movement are purely defensive. and destined |
TO constitute barriers against Anglo-Saxon en-
croachments But it is well to remember that |
the border line between defence and offence is
so Ill defined that it is easily lost sight of in
moments of popular excitement, and that a
union created mainly for the purpose of protec-
ton may easily become an instrument Of
aggression.
All Latin America. including Mexico is to be
represented al this congress in the Spanish |
capital next month. Portugal. prompted by the
dread of seeing her still vast colonial possess
sions share the fate of those of the neighbOring
kingdom of SPAIN has been quite active in
the organization of the congress the latter
nation. while Italy and France do not attempt
to conceal the sympathy they entertain for the
objects which this Pan-Latin union has in view.
Indeed, France. which has always considered
herself to be the leader of the Latin races may
yet endeayOr to put herself at the head of the
movement.
There will be many who. calling to mind the
contentious and jeaIousies of the various repub-
lies in South America, and of France, Spain
Italy and Portugal in Europe, will be disposed
TO regard the project of a Pan-Latin union as
altogether Utopian. But Napoleon III and sew
eral OF the most experienced statesmen of Eu-
rope made the same mistake when. in 1870
they relied upon the contentious and jealousies
Of the various States of Germany, and, above all.
upon their common hatred OF Prussia. to stand
In the way of any concerted action. The differ
ences that embitter the relations among the vari-
South American republics not bit more
acute than those which existed in 1870 and |
for that matter still prevail. among many of the
States Of the Federation known the German
Empire.
At the time of the outbreak of the Franco
German War only four years had elapsed since
Prussians HanOverians. Bavarians and Hes
SLAMS had all been engaged in sanguinary strife
with one another. This did not. however, pre-
vent them from standing shoulder to shoulder
for purposes of defence when German territory |
was menaced with a repetition of the terrible |
French invasion Of the first decade of the |
present century. did it prevent them
subsequently from assuming united often J
siye position against France, and from march /
ing allies across the hnlne anu all the
way to Paris. So is il within the range of
possibility that in the face Of common danger |
threatening the Latin nations all jealousies and
contentious would be temporarily lulled to per-
NIT united action, whether economic. political
or warlike against people of another race.
RACIAL SYMPATHIES SHOWN.
In spite of the perpetual quarrefs among the
Latin American repubiics-quarreIs which have
done SO much to retard the progress and devel-
onnent of the central and southern parts of this
Western Hemisphere-a certain radical cOmmun-
jtv Of sentiment exists. This made apparent
AT the time of The war between the United States
and Spain when the sympathes Of the people
in Southern and Central America were with the
RidaIgoes rather than with Cnc,e Sam. In Ger
tain South American cities. indeed, public sub
scriptions were organized for the avowed object
OF providing the Government at Madrid with
sufficient funds TO purchase or construct war
shiDs for use against the United States.
Nor is there ground for much surprise that
popular sentiment in Central and South America
should have been with Spain rather than with
the United States in the Of two years ago.
Gratitude is not exactly a Latin virtue. And
from the Rio Grande to Cape Horn the white
population is wholly of Spanish and Portuguese
origin That population is possessed of all the
racial preiudices, traits OF character and moral
as well AZ physical peculiarities of the people