Evening star., 1916-09-17
SPAIN AS BALANCE AFTER THEWAR

Dispatches from Madrid and Paris at
tach importance to tho declarations of
Senior Maura in a
Senior Maura'a speech near Balboa
w. to 5000 Mauristas:
will have to decide in favor of one of
the bel1igerents. setting the interests
Of our country before our personal SYM
pathies. Historically and geographi-
cally Spain sides with tho western
group. but England and France must
change tho methods they have adopted.
which are driving Spain headlong into
decadence."
Tho latter part of Senior Maura's
declaration Is not clear to the man be-
yond the border. but 1t is clear that
oellfgerents. others than England ana
France, have employed all means to
induce Spain and other neutrals to take
sides.
Notwithstanding Senior Maura, it is
highly probable Spain will remain neu-
trail unless for some unexpected Incl.
dent. Turkey. Bulgaria, Italy. Portugal
and Rumanta IN turn have aligned
themselves with the combatants. Have
Bulgaria and Rumania received prom
ises from their respective sides that
after the war the one or the other may
be the balance Of power in the Bal
kans? We shall know after the war
why Greece hesitated.
AS the matter stands at this hour
Greece has lost her place as proper
balance Of power in the Balkans which
Venizelos would have given her. Ser
aspirants for the place which does not
preclude duality. even tripltcity, Tor
Italy is now a Balkan power Of great
force, and aims at the domination OF
the Adriatic, which comprises Trentfno,
Trieste, Dalmatia. and an Italian army
constitutes presently the extreme left
wing in Albania Of the Saloniki army.
in Europe. Does Spain aspire to play
that role. based
What Is Spain's upon the sssump-
Future Role9 batants, after the
war, will be exhausted. victor and van
quished alike. and reduced to fmpo-
tency? The Spanish ex-premier's dec-
laration at Balboa implies doubt
when he says that Spain after the war
might be obliged to decide in favor Of
one of the belligerents.' a confession
that, after all, exhaustion might not be
the reason of peace. but that the victor
would be powerful enough to impose
her conditions and bar intervention
from whatever source. Thus Spain. in
such case, would forfeit her ambition
to play the role of arbfter, and hence
fail to be the balance of power.
The idea that Spain may cherish the
ambition to become the balance of
power in Europe Is wholly personal
and inspired by the suspicion that
Spain may deem the occasion, fit to re-
vive the days of her former greatness.
Spain's grandeur dates. indeed. from the
time when the Kingdoms of Aragon
and Castillo were united under the
scepter of Ferdinand and Isabella in
1869. There would be little wonder
II Spain should aspire to the renafs-
sance of her ancient power.
NJ Etienne Lamy Of the French Acad-
emy has written of Spanish affairs re-
Gently, but altogether from different
point Of view. He ascribes Spain's neu-
trality to her Indifference to the cause
of the entente, due In great measure to
the political conditions existing in
Spain and France. with particular ref
erence to the difference in spirit be-
tween the liberals of Spain and those
Of France, and, moreover, the machina-
tions Of the German merchant class,
who profited by the animosities engen-
dered between the Spanish and the
French.