Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-10-04
SPAIN NURSES
HER TROUBLES
People Seem to Be Afraid to
Take Up Arms.
FIGHTING SPIRIT NOT WELDED

Would Be RevoIutionists Lack Money
and Organization, Says Noted Au-
thority-Many of the Disorders Are
Attributed to Local Causes-Chances
Of Internal Strife.
]. Fitzmaurice- Kelly, professor of
Spanish at Kings college, London, an
authority on Hispanic matters, con-
tributes to the Pail Mall Gazette an
interesting discussion Of elements in
the Spanish situation which have re-
ceived little notice. He says:
There are more fighting spirit and In
dependence in the Russians and less
practical sense, perhaps, than In the
Spaniards.
I attribute most Of the disorders in
ity of the natives to sell their fruit,
especially to England, is one. Quite
naturally the British government can
not risk British shipping for Spanish
fruit. On the other hand, England
sends ships to the north of Spain for
ore. Oranges are luxury Ore is use
full in war. The people Of Valencia
feel that they have been left in the
lurch.
The unity of Spain Is not an accom-.
plished fact; it is phrase, nothing
more. One sees that in the separatism
of the Catalans in Barcelona. 1t is
indicated In the abundance Of regional
literature in Spain. Spain, indeed. is
richer than any other modern country
In this respect. Regional literature is
the literature of the locality; Hardy's
Wessex is an English example. In
Spain the local spirit is highly devel
oped. "Are you Spanish?' mo, 1 am
a Catalan or II am an Andalusian."
One may ask such a question and OBJ
tain such an answer In any railway
carriage when one is travelling In
Spain.
AS the country is not welded togeth.
er, is there enough fighting spirit to
lead an open outbreak? Supposing. for
instance, the Valencians or the people
OF any province take up arms, what
opportunity have they got to fight the
central government? Personally, l do
not consider that they have very much
chance OF success. I base my view on
the general principle that revolutions
mean money and organization, neither
OF which abounds, say, in Valencia.
furthermore, the central government
although not popular, is strong. The
Spaniard in the profundity Of his heart
respects strength. The Spanish kings
who have been most popular have
names which are scandal in history.
1t Is only necessary to recall Peter the
Cruel and Philip II. Men may be ty-
rants, but they accomplish something
they govern.
think that the inclination of the
people in power will be to defend them.
selves. King Alfonso will not 60 down
without fight, as Dom Manuel did in
Portugal. The army may not be in
good condition, yet the soldiers have
what they themselves call "pride of
uniform" That in itself makes them
high handed, something which would
be evident in the event of an outbrenk
1t may be remembered that the army's
own most pressing grievances have
been dealt with lately. And then. too
| Imagine, there would be a great di-
vision of opinion among the people
notably among the bourgeoisie. They
know from personal experience Spain's
tendency toward splitting up into little
republics, and they would not put their
money into anything Of that kind.
Opposition Prospects,
Taking into consideration the unity
OF the established power and the dis
unity OF the opposition, the prospects
OF the latter do not appear to me to
be very great. In Barcelona, which is
Doth the Belfast Of Spain and the CEN
Ter or d1sc0ntent, the disorders have
been suppressed. What has happened
there is likely to happen elsewhere.
While in Russia England is looked
upon as the enemy of freedom" in
Spain she is looked upon as the or
ganizer of revolutions. Gibraltar. of
course, is worked for all it is worth
Dy the German prOpagandists as a SEN
tlmenta1 grievance among Spaniards,
who have somehow got the idea that
II Germany should be victorious Spain
would be given back Gibraltar at the
end of the war.
Even English and German CONNER
cial travellers have, in their way. GER
tain acquired regulations in Spain.
The German trade representative is
always ei.ger to please and to meet re-
quiremeD,s. The Englishman's atti.
tude is, Take the goods as they are
or leave hem.' The Spanish trades
man pre- ters to have his accounts in
pesetas the English traders make out
their invoices in pounds sterling. The
German bows to the desire Of the Span
ish commercial population. and pesetas
are the basis Of calcnIation.
Again. the German clergy do not
travel in Spain; the English clergy
do-and accompanied by their wives.
Spaniards do not understand church
fanctionaries being married, and there