Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-05-12
NEW SPAIN PR0sPERS
SAYS MINISTER sTORER

United States minister to Spain, who
is employing part of his 90 days leave
of absence at the Brown Palace no.
tel. He had many callers yesterday,
talking with some of them, as he
smoked cigarettes in the rotunda,
and taking others to the hotel draw
ing room.
'''rhe boy king will come to the
throne next month";" said Mr.. Storer.
HE will be 10 years old May II, and
then will become Internationally
ruler of Spain. There will be no
more queen regent, as the regency,
which began before he was born, is
entirely ended when he reaches his
10th birthday He is about an aver
age boy in strength, and is fine lad
just about an average 16-year-old
boy. He is too young to rule, but
the constitution places him ON the
throne.
II hear very few echoes of the late
war i'm Spain. 1t would not be etiquet
for anyone in official circles to men
ton the fact that there had been
war. There is little bitterness of
feeling manifested toward the United
States i'm Spain. l believe that the
best thinkers of the nation-really
the best people-are of the opinion
that in the end the war will prove of
benefit to Spain. They figure that
the energy which in former years
was spent ON colonies, not only in
holding them in subiagation, but in
developing their resources, will be
devoted to developing the enormous
| 4
edly true that the best blood and
energy of Spain went to her col
onies
There was no interest in the Samp-
son-Schley controversy in Spain-in
| fact if it had not been for the Eng
lish and American newspapers would
not have known that there was any
such controversy. The Spanish news
papers print very little foreign news,
and then only a few lines under small
heads, and with no reference to what
has gone before. 1t is like reading
the 18th chapter of a novel, without
ever seeing any of the chapters be-
fore the 10Th or after it.
Poor old Cervera is Ewing in OBJ
security and comparative poverty now.
give him any post now, since he re-
ceived evidence of the good will of
the American people. He gets no pay
while not on duty, and can get no
assignment. Admiral Monteio. whom
Dewey fought at Manila, l have new
er heard of. l did not go. you see.
until after the war was all over. and
the echoes had about died away.
Our trade with Spain was just
about TO show marked increase.
believe, when the war came. Ii now
stands not far from the same point
at which it stood year before the
warm the proportion of about 10 to
4; that is. the United States sends to
Spain about S12,OO0.OOO worth of
goods. and Spain sends us about ST.
100000 worth. American goods have
to pay higher tariff than those of
most of the nations of Europe be-
cause Spain has commercial treaties
with them, while our reciprocity
treaty, like all the others. was ter
minated by the war. Spain has three
tariff scales, the maximum. medium
and minimum. and we have to pay
the maximum. | have been trying to
negotiate a new reciprocity treaty,
but have not been able to do so.
Spain wants to wait and see what
the senate does with the reciprocity
treaties with France and Italy and
Austria, now pending, before she
begins negotiations. OF course, the
nations of Europe like the special
privileges they enjoy, and their in
fuence will be employed wherever
possible, to prevent or delay the
signing of treaty of reciprocity be-
tween this country and Spain.
''Spain is an especially good market
for American machinery, of which
the Spaniards use large quantities.
The cash register also is coming into
use. had an amusing experience
getting the first cash registers
through the customs house. There
was absolutely nothing in the Gus
toms laws as il stood, under which
the cash register could be described,
and | believe the officials finally de-
cided that it was. a musical instru-
ment The registers are being i'm
ported right along.
1.-The principal problem of the
Spanish government is to obtain a
market for things which Spain pro-
duces. California now supplies many
articles formerly secured almost sole
w from Spain, such as olives and
fruits. Spain exports considerable
quantities of saffron, goat hides and
licorice root to this country.
Il believe that Spain has the best
lighted cities on earth. There were
practically no gas plants in any of
the cities when electric lighting came
in. Madrid and Barcelona, l believe,
were the only cities that had gas.
All the cities are now lighted by
electricity
Mr.. Storer expects to leave with his
| nnrt,. tndnv for CnInradn SnrinDss.