BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-10-18
sArl JUAN, OCTOBER 1S
The Wooing Of Spain.

A year ago Spain seemed to have al
most reached the point of approaching
disinterestedness. The best remnants 0,
her old prestige had been Destroyed by
war. Her navy had been swept fromthe
seas. Her colonies which, though they
had been a deadly drain upon her
strength, we're, nevertheless, sym-
bols Of Castilian power, hal been
lost Her treasury was practically
bankrupt. The northern provinces were
seetlling with a discomfort so formid-
abe as to threaten the integrity OF the
kingdom and to promise the creation OF
a new state out OF the commercial and
industrial territory whose Inhabitants
bitterly resented the injustice of sys-
tenn OF taxation hich oppressed them.
Spain, in fact, as generally held to be
a negligible quantity in iaternatlo1a 1at
politics, as having passed into the linbo
of dying nations
At he present time, however, there
seems to oe a prospect of her galnlng
a new standing among nations. L 30
powerful in huences are operating in
her favor. One is the desire OF France
to strengthen her own position IN
the Mediterranean and to render that
sea, SO far as may be, franch lake.
To this end she has created the ex-
traordinarg naval station at Biserta,
which is beyond all question one
of the most powerfa!l7 fortified
ports in the whole world. To this end
She is about to establish vast military
works in Corsica FOR the sake Of over
awine Italy, as NJ. Pelletan SO indis-
cree ly admitted in his recent after
dinner spaech. To this end. finally,
she has come to some understanding
with Spain by which financial aid is to
be given to that, country for the con-
struction of new feet, ii return, n0
doub., for privileges to be granted to
French fleets in Spanish ports hereafter
and on the blsis of a possible partition
of Morocco in the future.
What is of more immediate interest
to Americans in the consideration with
which Germany is treating Spain. It
was Germany that purchased from
Spaiu her few remaining Islands in the
Pacific for d sum which was a welcome
aid to the Spanish treasury; and it is
well known that at the present time the
diplomatic relations bet .Eeen Spain and
Germany are particularly cordial. Now
Germany has no interest in the Medi--
terranean and no concern about Mo
rocco. The llndoub ed object Of Ger
man dalliance with Spain is a purpose
to make use Of Spanish influence in
South America here has of late
been a very natked recrudescence o
racial sympathy on the part OF the
South American replblics toward the
mother country. These republics bave
long ceased 10 look on SPAN as likely
ever again o become an a asggfessor. The
memory of he Old slrdggie ior in3s-
pende1ce IS no.aing bat lllealorg and
SPANS later war on Chic las practical.
ly been forgotten. Therefore The ties
of blood ana language which bnd the
Spanish-speaking peop'e tofthe c9untry
of their ancestors are becoming always
stronger wita the lapse Of time; and the
astute German Emperor has been quick
to see how this revival and dee1ehed
racial loyalty can at some future crisis
be worked upon TO the lurtheraace of
his Own schemes IN South America.
Just what these schemes may be he
could not probably himself just now
define: but the existence Of a great
German population in Argentine and
Brazil undoubtedly Suggests to him the
possibility of colonial aggrand zementI
in that direction. His policy, no doubt, |
is opportunistic. He is ready to wait
in the hope that events may play into
his hands; and in the meantime, in
conciliating Spain, he. is being wise in
time, and is enlisting an influenced
whose importance may hereafter be
very great.
Because Of all these things, the posi-
tion OF Spain has been materially inn
proved within the past twelve months.
One OF her diplomats in Loaeion latelyl
said that the Spanish soveg tl@as
would take a lesson rom ae United
States, and would avoid entaH sliag al
liancss. a sagacious statesman, how
ever, f he play his eaftis vel. may at
the present Eclure 81 work upsa tie
interesled motives Of both France and
Germany as TO prepare the va for tllel,
return Of Span 10 a place atnong hose
powers which must al least Desrsclkoned
with. i,