Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-11-26
SPAIN'S FEELING.
Much More Friendly to United
Stat IS Since the War.
An American Traveller Among the
Polite Span'a-ds.
They Like Americans Bette Th,n they do the
English. War Makes Friends.


fear my story may seem to he almost
a.. legendary as those which Washing
ton Irving composed on this spot
seventy years ago, writes CORE
| spondcnt Of the Boston Transcript.
! There is one obstacle to finding cut
what the Spaniards really think: il is
| very much To- their credit. but 1t leaves
! YOU in the lurch. You call on a gentle
man thoroughly competent to give you
| an III" information you need. WITH
| Your card YOU hand him letter of in
| t,oduCtion He reads 1t very carefully.
| aud then looks YOU in the eyes with
| the utmost gravity, and with pro
| found bow begins the interview by
| remark which at once covers you Wlth
confusion and skaters Your coniidenc"
| i'll the accuracy of anything else he
| may have to say:
| TT is Il great honor ~ receive, aS II
| u,uSt have been a pleasure to present,
| a letter from such an eminent stat, $
nan in Washington; but | beg I" as
sure the senor that he will never need
any other introduction anywhere than
his own face and manner
| The SpaniardS are certainly the tkst
| gentlemen in Europe and in nll the
world Ana it does not take long %
| convince You that their Splcndld
courtesy is not mere tlattery. You
| lose all suspicion of inSincerity in
| Very few minutes. They may ~ un-
| Sclupulous in diplomacy and wholly
un,rustworthy in public policy. but IN
friendly conversation as soon as they
arc convinced that YOU have no axe I"
! q ind for Your government. and That
! YOU are on an honest errand Wnlrh
| MAY u" as useful tu their oWu p,Upi"
| rs to yours. they are open rs IT," day
ana tall: with great discrimin. .tiun.
one thing bearing on my main uueS-
| tiou discovered as soon AZ crossed
! the frontier: the Americans are no
| longer unwel,cmy Ia Spain. II the wal
! ever made il diSa grccGhle to travel
here. three Years have sutfic,d to r.
move every trace uf III" restraint. of
course our accent prompted thr inquiry
everywhere If Wc Wcr" English, and
we were agrecabl! surprised to lind
that -ha discovery Of our nationality
| Increased cordiality. over and over
again tn" remark was mad: W.. ike
Americans better than the English.
IN fact. on. Of the English rnu-ulS
| 'iS~Ul''l Ilit tIi'il tIi' l-'i~iltl bit't 'il'
working people in the provin." laid
| tho blame, for The war upon Great
Rritain. IL described th- cuuStrrna-
| tior and tumut in III" streets when
the truth ut last leaked nut about their
defeats at Manila and at Santiago.
ln,. then assured me that the cxhilara-
! tiun over the early victories nf tn"
F.erS caused even a great eNcit,m mt.
4 81,
the trains ana in thn streets with the
common people. Many of them ar"
thorough going iin-orS. they hay. no
doubt that they can heat the United
states if th"v can have a fair chance:
their navy would have homharded NV
YGIk and Boston in short order if il
had met nothing hut American war
ships: al our Victories al sea wer-
Won ~ ,rss,l> pu.ch"s n ~ Great
britain,
You AR. amazed .t this icnnranr"
until you r,memhy! THAT "ut "f the
sixteen millions at rrnnl-. in Spain ten
millions are totally illit"rat-. IN
American who was in Spain during the
whole war aSs'ii"d IN" that tim" and
time again h had seen q vast crowd
surrounding fellow who vas reading
ia tb.n, tbn ,,ai.. NOUS f-nn, ~. ,,nrn-
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