Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-21
WHY SP AIN FOUGHT
National Pride Drove Her to
War in 1898.
FEAR OF THE PEOPLE
NEITHER QUEEN NOR PARL1A-
MENT DARED BRAVE THEM.
Members of the Ministry Knew How
Weak the Nation Was and HOW
Uneven the Contest Would Be.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
ecial CORRESPONDENCE of The Evening Star ana

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record-Herald.
MADRID, November IL, 1908.
have asked several people why Spain
went to war with the United States anu
have received the same explanation from
everybody, so I conclude that 1t must De
something near the truth. 1t was matter
of national pride Neither the queen nor
the ministry nor the parliament dared do
otherwise for fear of the people. 1t Is as
serted that the dynasty would have been
oyerthrown; that no politician could have
survived public opinion had he advocated
the surrender of Cuba without a struggle,
no matter how costly the struggle might be
in money or lives or prestige. The mem
bers of the ministry and some of the men,
bers of the cortes knew how weak the ma
ton was. and the condition Of the navy,
and how uneven the fight would be against
a rich and powerful nation like the United
States. Other members of the parliament
and politicians may have suspected 1t, and
an attempt was made to inform the queen,
but she was incredulous. The people be-
lieved that their army and their navy were
invincible. The deception was as great as
in the case of the armada in the sixteenth
century, and any politician or official or edi-
tor who had predicted the result that act
tually happened would have been torn to
pieces by a mob Therefore the government
was not strong enough to resist the popular
opinion. and was compelled to fight. For
the same reason Cervera's fleet was sent to
destruction. The public demanded imme-
date offensive action on the part OF the
navy. Therefore Cervera was ordered out
of Santiago harbor, which, the Spanish edi-
tors say, was, after all, the best thing that
could be done, because it shortened the
war.
Financial Condition Excellent.
Spain is in an excellent financial condition
at present compar a lively speaking; that is,
her revenues are greater than her expenses,
for the first time since any one can remem-
Der, and there will be surplus Of more
than 6O.OOO,0O0 pesetas, or s15,OOO,0 OO in the
treasury above the current demands. A
surplus is new thing in Spanish finance,
and is apt to disturb the mental equilibrium
and cause extravagant appropriations. AL
ready schemes enough have been proposed
to absorb the money ten times over. but
Mr.. Villaverde, the prime minister, to whose
sk1llful management of the treasury this
surplus is due, has given everybody to I'M
derstand that it will be applied to the
tional debt and not wasted in unnecessary
expenditures.
The revenues have usually been about
$175O0O,0O a year and the expenditures
100000 or $6.O00,0O0 more. the deficit
year, until the public debt now amounts
to $2166,415,S3O and the annual interest
charge is ss3, 711,425: Added to this is
that part of the Cuban debt for which
Spain assumes the liability, amounting to
$195, 461 600. and the Philippine debt of
$39,59OOOO, making a total of national
Indebtedness of S2.4Ot.466,93O. This is
more than 1925 per capita of the popula-
ton, peers and peasants, men, women
and children, which is greater than the
average wealth of Spain as given by the
census. That is, the country owes more
than it is worth. But the soil of Spain
contains unlimited resources, both min
eral and agricultural. Although this is
one of the Oldest of human communities,
the treasures which nature has placed at
the command of the Spaniards have
scarcely been disturbed. At Huelva, for
example, is the Oldest copper mine in the
world, which was worked in the time of
Solomon, and furnished the material for
the artisans whom Hiram, King of Tyre,
sent to Jerusalem to build the temple
It's deposits are still inexhaustible, and
the output now is greater than it ever
was. 1t is owned by an English company
In the north, on the Bay of Biscay, are
mines Of tin, quicksilver iron and every
mineral, but the known deposits are not
worked to a fraction of their capacity
while, If the opinions of competent en-
gineers and mineralogists are to be con-
sidered, the mountains contain surprises
still.
A Country of Mountains.
Spain is country of mountains. Peo-
pie who have never been here do not
realize that fact. 1t is very much like
Mexico. a series of lofty ranges inter-
sected by rivers and valleys and great
plateaus between 1000 and 1000 feet
above the sea. The peaks reach an alti-
tude of nearly $4,000 feet. Half the VAL
leys are more than $500 feet and many
of them are 5000 and 5000 feet. Each of
these ranges is distinctly marked The
highest peak in the country Is MuIa
Hacen, near Granada, which reaches an
altitude of 11,7S1 feet. Near by it is Plea
cho, 1l,597 feet. Both of these and sew
eral other mountains are covered with
perpetual snow. Within sight of Granada
are seven peaks higher than 10000 feet.
and some of the finest glaciers in the
world The snow line even at that lati-
tude, which Is about the same as Naples
is 1904 feet, and the timber line is ONLY
6,705 feet. The city of Granada is 2,6S1
feet above the sea, Madrid is 1884 feet.
the Escurial is 1888 feet and Burgos is
2,S73 feet.
In the north of Spain the highest peak is
Nethou, 11.16S feet the loftiest of the Span
ish Pyrenees. Mont Perdido is 1O994 and
La Maladetta is 1O.SS6. In the western
provinces are several peaks quite as high
and within sight of Madrid are Penalara,
$40; Siete Picos. 1928. and Cebollera, 6.929
feet.
Sailors who coast about Spain for the first
time are always astonished to find a wall
of mountains following the shore line,
Wnlcn Is broken In very few places. On
the Mediterranean well as the Bay of
Biscay the ranges come down Immediately
to the water. and some of them rise 600
and 5000 feet within sight of Ships This
is not the general impression, and I am
quite sure it will surprise number of my
readers. who doubles have considered
Spain a semi-tropical country. and have
supposed 1T to resemble Italy. But the two
countries have very little in common. so
far as topography is concerned Spain pro-
duces all of the staples Of the temperate
zone and hgh-class of wines, but it can
not be considered an agricultural country,
because its greatest wealth has been in min
erals.
The exports have averaged about $40, OOO,-
600 year, and the imports about $175,OOO,-
GOO. The largest items of export in their
order have been copper, iron, lead quick
silver. cork. fruit, nuts and raisins. In adj
dition to those there are half a dozen other
minerals of value.
Governmental Interference.