Mohave County miner. [volume] (Mineral Park, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1882-1918, 1917-04-21
SPAIN HAVING DIFFICULTY
IN MAINTAINING NEUTRALITY

Il
listers received, a representative of
The Associated Press at the Presiden-
cia today, and discussed the various
questions growing out of the Europ-
can War, as they affect Spain now
and in the future, and the increasing
Importance which the war has given
to strengthen the friendly relations
and establishing a strong commercial
understanding between Spain and the
United States.
Count Romanones is not only the
guiding spirit of the government dur
ing these war days but he is in effect
the government itself, for while head
of a ministry responsible to the King
and the Cortes, yet this responsibility
has never been successfully challeng-
ed. so that Romanones has come to be
recognized as the embodiment OF
Spanish policy, much as President
Wilson is accepted in Europe as the
exponent of American doctrine.
The President of the Council was
still at his desk at 8 o'clock in the
evening receiving delegations from the
Cortes, which he had just decided to
suspend, in order to give the govern
ment a freer hand without the EN-
barrassment of popular discussions
over delicate war measures. He has
the easy and agreeable manners Of a
high-born Spanish nobleman, combin-
ed with an approachable and SYM
pathetic tact which have made him the
idol of the liberal and democratic
elements of the Cortes and the people.
Spain appears to be firmly deter
mined to maintain her attitude Of
absolute neutrality between the two
belligerant parties" was suggested to
the President of the Council.
eyes, absolute neutrality together
with a maintenance of international
law" he replied. eve feel that both
should go together, and while deter
mined not to vary from the course of
neutrality which we have observed
from the outset, we believe this should
be done without permitting the princi-
pies of international lay and justice to
be Unsecured or varied in the slightest
degree-a right which is of great i'm
portance to Spain and particularly to
the lesser neutral countries like Swift
zerland, Holland, Denmark and the
Scandinavian countries, for without
the safeguards of international law
these lesser countries are at the COM
plete mercy of the great and powerful
nations.
81 will say frankly it is not always
an easy task to reconcile this observ-
ance of neutrality with the mainten-
ance of all the well-estabished safe
guards of international law, because
the war has created many entirely new
coalitions, never before presented when
law was being evolved,
as in the case of the new discoveries
by which warfare is conducted in the
air, under the sea, and with the aid of
wireless communication. We believe,
however, that Spain will be able to ac-
complish these two desirable objects
neutrality and the observance of inter-
national law-and that in reality the
seeming conflict between them is
largely one of detail which can be ad-
justed by the exercise of good will and
generous disposition"
From what you have said" was
suggested to the President of the
Council, at is inferred that Spain is
determined not to enter the
war"
'That is a very denitely fixed policy
on our part" he replied. 1--WE do not
want war and do not like war, and we
not only hope but we confidently ex-
pect and believe there is no occasion
whatever now, and will be no occasion
in the future, requiring Spain to
change her attitude of neutrality and
enter the war. Spain has every in
terest in remaining at peace, and has
absolutely no interest in going to war.
"You have only to look around and
see our people contented and happy,
while the people of the rest of Europe
are suffering the most dreadful
scourge that ever swept over a CONT
nent. Our internal conditions are
normal, in industry, COM
merce, finance and in all the branches !
Of economic development, while war is
ravaging the rest of Europe with
death and destruction to an extent
without parallel in the history of the
world, with whole nations and races
scant in the very necessities of life,
~ I'LL II