Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-09
THE DEFEAT OF SPAIN
Divided Opinion as to Its
Effect.
OFFICIAL DISHONESTY
HAS CAUSED MUCH SUFFERING
TO THE PEOPLE.
Spanish Treasury Has a Surplus Now
Uncertainty as to Political Future
No Competent Leaders.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star ana
Chicago Record Herald.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
MADRID October ~, 1903.
There is a difference of opinion among
people as to whether her defeat in the wa
with the United States. and Inc loss of her
colonies. was beneficial to Spain Many OF
the thinking natives. we'll as foreigners.
agree that the defeat was a bad thing 50
far as the national pride is concerned. but
that the loss of the colonies was an advan-
tage in several important respects. If one
were to attempt to define public sentiment
on this question, however, he would he
promptly contradictcd on one side or the
other. \ foreigner who has lived in Madrid
for many years and knows the country
thoroughly tells me that while the loss of
the colonies deprived the country of the
greatest cause of corrL 0tion, it has COM
PEELED dishonest politicians to look for plum
der at home and thus has been Il disadvan-
tage On the other hand. he says, it had
stopped the drain upon the laboring ele-
ment of the kingdom. we'll as upon The
treasury. which had to pay many millions
of dollars every year to support armies in
Cuba and the Philippines
In former times whenever the government
wanted to reward or get rid of a politician
he was appointed to some office In Cuba or
the Philippines. Favorites of the ministry
and the crown were sent out there to get
rich and robbed both the people and the
government. My friend referred to an ac-
uuaintance of his who was given contract
to supply bacon to the army in Cuba, and
at the same time appointed chief of that
division of the customs which collected the
duties upon his own importations AS
consequence he is now a very rich man,
although when he received his appointment
ne very poor.
People Suffer From Official Dishonesty.
That sort of thing has been stopped, but
the home government and the people oil
Spain have since had to suffer directly from
the dishonesty of officials certain portion
of whom will make themselves rich by
stealing. Again. the loss of the colonies has
made it necessary for influential politicians
to find places for their sons. their nephews
their poor relations and their proteges
under the government at home, and for
that reason the executive departments, the
customs. the postal service and other
branches of the public service throughout
the country have been loaded with useless
and expensive clerks. This has caused
great dissatisfaction. and the cry of car
The reduction of the army and the de-
struction of the navy have left idle several
thousand officers of all ranks and grades,
from lieutenant generals down to sublieu-
tenants. who, having nothing else to do,
have gone into politics more or less, and,
being generally dissatisfied with the admin
istratiOn of the government, have stirred
up discomfort among the people
On the other hand, the farms and facto-
ries of Spain are no longer stripped of labor
by CONSUMPTION to fill the armies in the
provinces, Several thousand young men.
who had just attained their ma jority. have
been sent to Cuba and the Philippines an
nually for thirty years and less than half
of them ever came back. The soil of the
colonies is enriched with their bones. This
constant drain has made labor scarce and
WAS not favorable to the introduction of
new Industries. The conscripts were taken
from the poorer classes. for in Spain any
one can obtain exemption from military
service by paying 1000 pesetas, which is
about $500 in our money Now the young
men can stay at home and contribute to the
prosperity of the country. Furthermore. it
cost the government more than $4,000 900
Il year to hold its colonies and the outyo
was so much greater than the income that
an enormous debt has been piled up. 1t is
no longer necessary to borrow money to
meet the deficit, although taxes are no less
than they used to be.
Financial Condition Good.
The financial condition of Spain is good
MIR. Nillaverde, the present prime minister
who was secretary of the treasury for sev-
efdl years after the war, reorganized
finances with great ability. and won the
confidence of the creditors of the nation
and the bankers of the money centers in
London, Paris, Frankfort and Berlin The
surplus this year, Mr.. Vilaverde says. will
be SG1OOoGGO. which he proposes to use in
reducing the floating debt. although the
king and the other leaders of his party
want to spend the money in rebuilding the
navy. During the last parliament the min
lister of marine. at the request of the king
submitted a plan to eXpend a billion pese-
-Sl'DUo Tc-during the next ten years
in the purchase and construction of battle
ships and cruisers. Mr.. Maura the minis
ter OF state an ex-hberal. who aspres to be
Leader OF the conservative party and the
successor OF Silvela, who has announced
his retirement from that responsibility pro
claimed the adherence OF the government
TO the policy of the church
Inc church and tie navy We're to be the
war cry of the conservative party. but not
wlthstanding the Endorsement of the king
a majority of the cabinet opposed both
propositions and then forced "a crisis They
argued that the church enjoyed too MANY
privileges already and intimated their in
tenuon to support the anti-clerical policy
which had been inaugurated by the liberals
under the late Senior Sagasta They on
posed the naval appropriation on the
ground that Spain does not need navy
and that If It had one II would be a very
expensive white elephant. One of the min
listers declared that the people had no
money to build ships and no money to
maintain them even If theX received a first
class fleet as present. According to Gus
tom the cabinet resigned and Mr. Villa
verde, who, as ] have just told you. had
made great reputation as minister of
finance was asked to form a new cabinet
and proclaim n new ro;icy. which was econ
omy I'm the public service and reduction in
the national expenditures.
MI. Villaverde's Embarrassment.
This was a very welcome proposition II
the people but unfortunately Mr.. Villa
ha 10 tn Ila