The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-09

| VAcIo1Au, <Ap1ll SOcAS ASOAAA~~A-
 ones, President of the Council of Min isters, received representative of The Associated Press at the Presidencia recently, and discussed the various questions growing out of the European war, as they effect Spain now and in the future, and the increasing impor- ! tance which the war has given to strengthening the friendly relations and establishing a strong commercial understanding between Spain and the l United States.
 l Count RomanoneS is not only the guiding spirit of the government dur ing these war days but he is in effect the governments itself, for while head of a ministry responsible to the King and the Cortes, yet this responsibility has never been successfully challenged 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 eight o'clock in the evening, receiving delegations 1 from the Cortes, which he has just decided to suspend, in order to give the government a freer hand without embarrassment of popular discussions over delicate war measures. He has the easy and agreeable manners of a high-born Spanish. nobleman, com bined with an approachable and sym pathetic tact which have made him the idol of the liberal and democratic [ elements of the Cortes and the peo- 1 pie.
 fo h0 1A{~ mined to maintain her attitude of ab- i ligerent parties,' was suggested to the I President of the Council.
 ''Yes, absolute neutrality together with a maintenance of international law" he replied. 'tWe 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 prin- ciples of international law and justice to be obscured or varied in the slight est degree-a right which is of great l importance to Spain and particularly to the lesser neutral countries like 1 Switzerland, Holland, Denmark and Scandinavian countries, for without the safeguards of international law these lesser countries are at the com plete mercy of the great and powerful nations.
 | "I will say frankly it is not always an easy task to reconcile this observ- ance of neutrality with the mainten- ance of all the wel1-established safe guards of international law, because the war has created many entirely new conditions, never before presented when international law was being evolved, as in the case of the new discoveries by which warfare is con- ducted in the air, under the sea, and with the aid of wireless communica- tion. We believe, however, that the observance of international law-and that in reality the seeming conflict be- tween them is largely one of detail which can be adjusted Joy the exer- else of good will and geHerous disposi- l tion."
 From what you have said" was suggested to the President of the 1 Council, cit is inferred that Spain is ] equally determined not to enter the war"
 'That is a very definitely fixed poli- l cy on our part" he replied. we do not want war and do not like war, and  expect and believe there is no occasion whatever now, and will be no occasion 1 in the future, requiring Spain to change her attitude of neutrality and enter the war. Spain has every inter- est in remaining at peace, and has ab- l solutely nos 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 con- tinent. Our internal conditions are practically normal in industry, com mercea 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, and with their entire social and economic fabric so dislocated that they will be burdened if not prostrate for two or l three generations.
 "Why should we throw aside all these splendid advantages which pro- vfdence and our isolated western geo. graphical position give us, in order to cast our lot with those who are pass ing through the most fearful trials that ever fell upon nations. No, our path is clearly traced. Spain will not enter the war. There is absolutely no question of honor involved which calls upon Us in any way to enter into this dreadful slaughter.
 Then your Excellency does not re- gard the submarine question as a men, ace likely to draw Spain into war;"
 The submarine question is undoub- tedly serious" he replied. "But all things are relative, and in considering the submarine question we should
 have regard to it's relative bearing on the larger and supreme question of preserving policy of peace as against war. The danger zones traced around the Entente nations, while they do not touch the coast of Spain yet they completely encircle us at a distance
 This has had a serious effect on our seaborne commerce and has also af- | fected our home industries to some I extent. Spain's natural resources of iron, fruit, oil and many of the other European countries, as well as to 1 North and South America. And on | the other hand our metal industries, railways, factories and public utilities depend to Q considerable extent on getting their necessary supplies of coal from the Cardiff coa1-fields of England. But the danger zones en- 1 circling us have interfered with both these normal and essential branches l of our trade, eXportation and importa-