Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-02
TORN WITH DIsCONTENT,
UNHAPPY SPAIN MAY
PROVE SECOND RUSSIA

Continued From First Page.)
intricacies of Spanish political parties.
constantly DIVIDING changing, their
platforms and making new alliances
the head swiris.
THREE SPANfsHEPARTIEs
IN FAVOR OF ENTENTE
AT, the present moment the Social
lists, Republicans and Reformists. maxi
ing up. the so-called Block Of the
Left" are combined. Until the recent
Internal troubles became paramount,
this block" was concentrating it's ef-
forts on throwing Spain into the war
as an entente ally. Spain's grievances
against the Germans are almost ex-
actly like the United States-continued
outrages on undefended merchant ships
by the U-boats o..
Not to go into all the maze of de-
tails. one may say in general that the
conservatives. the clericals. the high
army officers and the leaders Of the
old aristocratic families favor Germany.
When they do not argue for a declara-
ton OF war on England and France,
with the object of getting Gibraltar
and certain sections of Morocco. they
point to the secondary position Spain
would take as member OF the entente.
Spain would be England's squire. they
say. Spanish dignity would suffer, as
the nation could have, little actual mill
tary influence on the war. -.
leader of this pro-German clique
Is Captain-General Weyler. whose no.
torious regime : in Cuba had most to
do! with American intervention there.
Weyler is of German. or part German.
origin. Like many other 3panish army
officers. he almost worships German
military ideas. He has an enormous
influence with the army.
But there are. notable exceptions to
the general rule that; the aristocrats
favor Germany. one being the Duke
Of Alba. whose family has been famous
in history for centuries.
The King himself Is believed to lean
toward the entente. His consort. Ena.
is British through and through. In
fact, she has incurred some unpopu-
lartty by failure to conceal her prefer
ence for England 20 Spain.
But what the King may do matters
little. High office In the government
at Madrid is confined to a group OF
about thousand men, beaureaucrats
no less stupid. IL not so brutal as those
OF the Gar Cabinet follows Cabinet
In an endless. wearyinE round. Each
one is destined to failure from the
start, because OF tho bralnless hidal-
goes in positions OF Importance. II for
no other reason.
Thus unhappy Spain stumbles on.
She is bureted by blasts from all dr.
rec:ions. Tho Spaniard Is a natural
revolutionary. There seems little like
lihood OF a solution of the country's
troubles-little chance that any sort
Of a firm. strong central government
Will take control and lead the people
in the ways OF modern. prosperous
democracy.
SPAIN MAY WITNESS
CONFLICT OVER CROWN
Unusual as 1t would seem In these
days, Spain may even witness conflict
over the crown. The Carlists are very
strong. Most of the pro-German con-
servatives are Carlists. They favor
the claims to the throne, of Don Jaime
of Bourbon. Duke Of Madrid. only son
Of the late Don Carlos. who now lives
at Frohsdorf, in Austria. and Is en-
t,reiy identified with the German party
in that country.
One thing is quite certain. Alfonso
would fight for his throne He would
not yield weakly to force-whether
offered by the Carlists or by any other
Of tho many potentially hostile parties
or combinations. He would not climb