Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-12-07

saw tor the first time an up-to-date
floating fortress. and was so much i'm
pressed that as soon as he came home
he called the cabinet together and told
them that Spain must have a similar
neet, II was then explained TO him
for the first time why his country was
without navy. and he read with in
tense Interest the details of the bat.
Ties OF Manila and Santiago and the
destruction of the two great squad
| rons. OF course. the account was
written from the Spanish point OF
view, and gave his officers and sailors
p the credit they deserved. but ne
vas possessed with an eagerness to
see the ships and the men that de
stroyed them, and requested that the
American fleets which fought at the
battles of Santiago and Manila be in
vited to Spain so that he might see
them. President Roosevelt was con
suited and entered into the plan with
great enthusiasm. but after further re-
Election the Spanish authorities decid-
ed that 1t was little too early for a
yankee fleet to appear in a Spanish
port. and decided to take no risks of
tough element that Is found in all of
The large towns. So the king cannot
be gratitled.
| There is no resentment against the
| United States among the Spanish peo-
| pie; at least all the Americans | have
seen in Spain are unanimous in that
| opinion, and testify that they have ex-
| perienced nothing but the kindest and
| most courteous treatment Strange
| % say, however. there Is bitter feel
ing toward the British, because the
iyerage Spaniard believes. or pre-
ends to believe, that If England had
not interviewed Spain might have
| whipped the United States and sup
pressed the revolution in Cuba. That
almost incredible, but it is never
theless true, and from the highest to
the lowest classes of the population a
relentless hatred toward England is
manifested on all occasions and In
various ways The members of the
British embassy here relate some cur.
Gus experiences which this feeling
has developed and one nceis no fur.
her evidence than the nc% per car.
oons, which, by the way, re usually
true index of popular feeling.
Last winter an attempt was made
o humiliate the British ambassador
II Madrid. He made preparations for
he annual pail at the embassy, as us
ral, which were duly noted in the so
,iety papers. II was also stated in
The same papers and at the same time
hat certain ladies of high degree in
Madrid had organized a movement to
boycott the ball and were securing
pledges from the nobility and aristo
eracy of Madrid that they would refuse
to attend if invited. There was no Sc
ret about it. 1t was discovered in the
columns of several Of the papers, some
If them being for and some of them
being against the scheme, and there
we're several cartoons in the illustrat.
I'd papers giving the humorous side OF
he situation. No attention was Civ
en the matter by the ministry nor by
the British ambassador, nor was there
any sign of approval or disapproval
from the palace until the fnfanta Isa
bella. the no o1lest character in the roy.
II family, returned from an absence
md promptly squelched the plot She
IS the most powerful person in Spain
today and ,..e most popular, and when
ne practical mind and generous heart
comprehended the situation, she told
he leaders of the movement what sill
y fools they We're. and now 1t is diff
cult TO find anyone who favored II.
The kings ambition to have a big
ieet cannot be realized. AS / wrote
you the other day, the late cabinet
faltered. stumbled and fell on that pro.
position. and now it is said that ne.
gotiatons have been entered into VITA
France for an offensive and defensive
alliance. This will make 1t necessary
for Spain to have fleet but really
there does not seem to be any reason
why she should have one. No other
oower has any grudge against her,
md every one would see that she was
protected If she were attacked. The
Dnly danger to which Spain is exposed
is threatened by her own people. 1t
is revolution and not foreign war
that her statesmen will be required to
avert. Nor is there any objection on
the part of any other nation to an al.
lance between Spain and France. BY
diplomatic authorities it is regarded
rs unnecessary and unimportant, but
not unnatural.
The king is learning good deal,
but he ought to learn more, AMI his
education is distorted for political rea.
sons, which makes II necessary tina,
he should know certain things and
that he should be ignorant of others
1t is unfortunate that he cannot come
in contact with young men OF his own
age that he cannot see something o.
the world outside OF Spain He is be-
ing raised under glass and artificial
conditions. and the results cannot be
anything but abnormal. His future
life must be more or less warped by
the narrow limits of his present hori.
zon. There is nothing more true than
the old proverb which tells us that "as
the twig, is bent the tree inclines."
But it is difficult to see how his life
could be ordered otherwise or how the
method OF his education could be al
tered. He must suffer the penalty