New-York tribune., 1918-10-20
The "Homenaje" of Spain

Your true SpaNiard dearly loves a
gala occasion. and he is ready and
eager to make one out Of anything
His favorite method, however. is the
"homenaje,' that is to say, the public
recognition and celebration of the viz
tues and achievements of Il fellow citi-
zen. On such occasions he arises to
the full heights Of possibility. Any
other occasion is good, but q "homc-
naje' is unspeakably fitting From the
frst trumpet call TO the local press.
She article which discovers, all too
late, the extraordinary claims on pub
lie recognition Of the one it is desire d
20 honor. and demands that the lack
be made good without delay, the Span
lard revels in every detail. The first
public meeting. the appointment Of the
committee, The committees appoint
ment Of subcommittee, the letters in
Che newspapers, the interview with the
one TO be honored, his graceful deprc-
cations and depreciations, and then
the bands. the flags. the banQuets. and
the speeches Of the great day itself,
represent train Of events altogether
typical os Snain.
1t ls, OF course, for this reason, be
cause the affair and not the person Is
the thing, that too much significance
need not be attached to the great
"homenaje' which it is proposed to do
to Senior Don Claudion Lonez Bru,
Marquess dc Comilas, the head Of the
Spanish shipping firm, the CompaNia
lrasatlantica. The Marques is we'll
known as strong pro- German 1t is
quite openly insisted that he has in
innate relations with the German au-
thorities and that he has been able to
secure from Berlin special immunties
tor ships OF his line. Now, as was
pointed out in recent dispatch from
Madrid, it may be true that if such
immunity helps the Marques it also
helps Spain, at time when she most
urgently needs all the shipping she can
get. Nevertheless, those who have the
most casual acquaintance with the
German method are never for mo-
ment deceived into believing that, in
according immunity to the ships of the
Compana Trasatantica, Germany is
actuated by sincere personal affec-
tlon for the Marques de Comillas, or
by more widely diffused regard for
the shareholders of the company. One
instinctively looks for the ouid pro
quo. where Germany is concerned, and
generally has no difficulty in finding It..
The case OF the worthy president Of
the Compania Trasatlantica is no cx-
cepton to the rule. Reports have been
coming in from Los Palmas which
throw a flood of light on the matter.
They are we'll accredited reports, and
they tell Of how the agent of the com
pany on that Spanish island persuaded
an English firm. some time ago, to make
a large consignment of coal to him.
representing that it was intended solely
Tor the companys vessels. The trans
action was carried out and the coal
eventually found it's way into tn bunk
ers OF certain German ships that were
lnterned at Los Palmas, and these
ships, 50 equipped. one day stole quiet
ly out of the great harbor and took to
the high seas as German privateers.
The agent was, of course, FURNISHED. :"
but within a short time, owing to the
influence of g member of the Cortes
he was reinstated, and devoted himself
to his previous calling with renewed
energy and resource. German subma-
r'nes are rerortod t. "swarr round the
Canaries,' and German submarines are
not IN the habit of swarming anywhere