The sun., 1918-07-27

of my life have carried me so lar
from her that l can say l am
Spaniard in name only, despite my
deep affection and an ardent desire
to see Spain always a great nation. IL
hurts me when all too frequently l
read in the North American papers
what Is said OF Spain; the super
ficiality of commentators who UNI
scrupulously sacrifice truth to osten-
tation and false sensationallsm. Peo-
pie speak OF Spain without knowing
her; the most cxtravagant attitudes
are attributed to her. TO many, the
free Spanish nation is only n German
colony, but such a supposition Is an
outrage to the noble Spanish people.
There Is distinctly something more In
Spain than a few pro-German agita-
tors.
Spain Is not pardoned for being
neutral and all sides wish to decry
her as the enemy of one or the other,
though her neutrality benefits the
Allies as we'll as the Germans Even
though the Allies considered her pro-
German. this is not precisely what the
Germans think. II they did, they
would not sink her ships. They would
rot have infringed so often on her
sovereign rights. Nor would they
have been SO ungrateful to those who
with lamentable heedlessness, opened
their Quixotic arms unheeding San
cho's warnings and counsels.
why should Spain be pro-German
She may not be pro-Ally, but why
should she side with Germany? Have
they anything in common? The race
The language? Religion? Customs
Frontiers? Nothing. Spain and Ger
many are two countries diametrically
opposed. And even when through the
chances of history they became one
people and had the same king (Charles
V. of Germany and /. OF SPAIN, II
was the Spaniards themselves, the old
Castillians, who waved the flag of lib
er.y against the German monarch
the son of an Austrian. And three
glorious Spaniards-Padilla, Brave
and Maldonado-at Villalar. paid with
their lives for It.
What did Germany ever do for Spain
Some one has malevolenly recorded
the apparently friendly attitude OF
Germany to Spain in 1898. 1t is SAID
that a German fleet tried to intlmidate
the American Admiral Dewey. in order
that Spain might hold the Philippine
Islands. The fact is that Admiral ror
Diederich left for kiao-chou as soor
as Dewey decided to attack the ole
and frail vessels Of the unhappy Ad-
miral Montojo.
And do no. the Spaniards who sym
pathize with Germany remember that
before the United states conquered
the Philippines 1t was the Germans
who. in those same waters, wrested
the Caroline Islands from Spain:
Though afterward they We're com
PEELED to pay for them, 1t Is true. Such
things should be remembered. II
should also be remembered that q
little over a hundred years ago the
English generously shed their blood
for the liberty and Independence OF
Spain. Did the Germans ever do that
for Spain? The Germans have never
done anything for Spain, unless we
are made to believe that for SPANS
ships have been torpedoed in the pres
ent war.
Spain knows little about England
and less about the United States. She
knows something more about ITALY
and France. About Germany she ha:
never known anything. In Spain, thu
French language is compulsory; many
know how to speak Italian and alsC
English. Among 2o.0oo,ooo Spaniards
it can be asserted that not hundred
have studied German.
The Spanish clergy, the aristocracN
-clerical-and a great part OF thu
army are pro-Germans. This canno
be denied: but all the intellectual
classes, with few exceptions, are pro
| Allies. And the immense majority o
the people are also pro-Allies. Thu
political leaders. with the exception o
the traditionalist Nazquez de Mella
are all either frankly pro-Allies, a!
Count Romanones, or simply neutrals
as Eduardo Dato.
Maura. the present Prime Minister
always looked to the Allies. seekina
for an understanding suitable to then
and TO the Spanish nation. 1t was HI
| who declared in a memorable speech
that the interests OF spain are VIII
the western nations OF Europe, MOI
with the Central Powers. and every
body knows that the boundaries o.
Spain are lands and seas of the Allies
If Germany does not convince her
SET of the impossiblity OF defiuitivC
victory, and the war should therefore
| continue. Spain will Join the Allies
1t is inevitable. And though she may
not want to go to war, as the United
States did not desire It. she will he
forced to wage It against those who
have already made themselves enemie:
Of the whole world.
At the present moment neutrality
is impossible. for there are those who
are unable to respect 1t. To defenC