New Britain herald., 1917-04-19
SPAIN FINDS WAY
 OF NEUTRAL HARD
Trying to Please All But With Little Success

Madrid. Spain. April 1s.--Now that Spain has taken the center of the stage as the foremost neutral. follow ing the break of relations between the United States and Germany she Is tinding that the role of the chief neu- tral is not altogether happy one. There is added honor and prestige as
 the intermediary between all the vari-
 ous capitals. but hero It Madrid the! representatives Of all these capitals
 are ranged in 70 many hos1aIo eanhps. with thotr own champions md follow era. thsir own press and dSs 'of news and gossip. thear or olicis6,
 intrigues and wirepulling, fnat tho government has found 1t convenient and necessary to draw sharp line
 between these different groups so as
 to prevent animosities and embArrass-
 ments which might seriously interfere
 with strict adherence to neutrality.
 The spanish capital h faunous for
 the elegance of it's ofilcial receptions
 with . strict adherence to precedent
 and ettuuette, and with all the tor
 eign representatives mingling togeth-
 er. Until recently, the British am.
 bassador waA the deAn oft foreign rep-s .resenta tiyes and, by chance. the wife, of the German ambassador was doy- enne 0f the wives of Anabaasadorx This created something of Y when the VARIOUS groups assem- blqdS and greeted each other In the strtc tct orr
 der of their rank. As; < s sss 8s z a.s But when . new British 1mbsseld dor arrived recently the Germ n nm 1Sas;a soNaor succeeded as dean of the fDrss &axn refressntat lives, and his wife esa
 fanilAd ~ d0yAnn AsNAMch the Ersa
 mn group, was distinctly It tho fTun
 not On1Y, m precedence, but m ytr4p y-sll < cting all the intercouf
 srand Even Tn tho E soilleIal est tinss with tho BanetS I mlintI1 xA representative Of fA4 M
 were bfoltht tols thSf In 6pph5MAy that eeparatea Ali6lepc6F 'roenls m to u h5stily found IT or, adef to avoid ' ciash, but all thls Ian sovSrcoane by, the estA blfshme Of dtf-'
 fstsnt houfs and days tor sll thu !, < aklls5ys Abas,lI le nationai ma rsEs tss- Are n1nde er1oing Ghnngo b6calipe' sioe uortrhlify. The kinese bir4 Ay cel-Sf { eis 4tioff WAS given up thls rear. UeuAlly IL IS attended by II grand re- lcepssons of III tho fcreisn rspr K atiyes It the royal palace. with gAia per- |fprnnances a1d popular dssno1stra- 2.
 ilons and bull-nghts, Hut III this was
 oIiittad this year II 1t wan clear al! the foreign representatives could not
 be brought together for one common rejoicing. The Lenten festivals also,
 which are usually observed with
 great ceremony in Spain, are now much restricted for tho same reason sof neutrality. x sS5l5 s,s 5a, s1 One of tho most curious Of thesS
 ceremonies is usually on Thursday of
 the last week. of lent, when the king
 washes the feet of twelve poor men
 at the palace. It Is called the lava
 torio. IS a symbol of humility, and is
 open to the public who crowd the pal
 ace to witness ths unusual scene. But
 this year the ceremony is omitted, as 1t would bring together the two Qp- posing war clements N ' !,
 The need for t1ls strict lQbservance was made plain by several iucide Hafore fine new rules came into force there was . reception It which Ill tho a1labassadors were assembl This brougi,t together Prince K. tho bas-3 sador of one of the Centr1ll FtNsra. and Lord Y, the arnbassad dor of m 1cn ! tente Power. There WAS moments hesitation, and then the Entents 4nl-
 bassador. to relieve the strain. snaI dnxly extended his hand. But Pfnce x, instead of taking the hand. cArrieds his own hand behind his back. Where uron the Entente ambassador. not to he embarrassed by the affront, in creased his smile into hearty laugh, and remarked, s8
 '.oh. had quite forgotten we were l at war"
 There have been only two elements