The sun., 1918-07-27
THE RELATIONS BETWEEN SPAIN AND
THE ALLIES.
The and the Division Of the Sympah Of the Span
iards-What Course Shall Spain Take?


to take up arms against them. In
order to defend her rights, the United
States were obliged to intervene in the
war and once for all threw aside their
profound pacifist convictions as some.
thing useless.
The few words that King Alfonso
spoke at Madrid in an interview with
the correspondent Of La Nacion OF
Buenos Ayres may be taken as
prophecy for Spain. The Spanish
monarch was asked how he had been
spirit Of absolute neutrality. He said
by accepting the situations and
agreements forced on us by our geo.
graphical position, the Relationship
toward our neighbors: by maintain.
ing clearly and frankly that attitude
without falling in any OF our pre-.
vious agreements, and by our loyalty.
avoiding the distrust Of every one"
Why do l call these words pro.
phetic. pronounced by the King OF
Spain two years after the war began?
Because II seems inevitable to me
that Spain and her King as well VIII
have to accept the situations and
agreements forced upon her by her
geographical position, the relationship
toward her nei8hbors, and her pre-
vious agreements" Between Ger
many and Spain lies France and in
France there are to-day England
Italy and the United States.
In all Spain there has been only one
neutral worthy of the word, one only
King Alfonso. Nobody can dispute
this; every one recognizes it. all praisr
1t. The humanitarian work OF Al.
fonso XIII. is known to the world
If, then, King Alfonso KILL is nel.
trail, If the Government, In spite OF is
weakness, continues to be Officially
neutral--not taking into account tn.
agreements entered into by Spain with
the Allies to give them direct material
aid-and If a great majority OF thu
Spanish people are openly pro- Allies
why that insistence in continuing to
consider Spain as pro- German? For.
eigners that do not know Spain pre-
tend to judge her by her press; better
said, by certain organs OF her press
and in that way justice is not done to
her. 1t is undeniable that there are
in Spain pro-German papers But
how many are there and what Is their
significance? And are the pro-Aly
papers fewer in number and in i'm
portance?
In the Black List OF the United
States. revised the 18th of March OF
this year. six Madrid papers are
included.
But in contrast to these six Madrid
papers more than twelve, also pub
lished in Madrid, can be named which
are openly pro-Ally.
In making these observations | only
pretend to demonstrate the injustice
done to Spain in considering her pro.
German. No. Spain Is not pro Ger.
man. though there are many pro.
Germans in Spain. just as there were
in the United States before this ma
ton decided to join the war for the
Allied cause. The day that Spain de-
cides to go into the war. that dav
there will he an end to the pro Ger
mans in Spain.
But what will be the attitude Of
Spain ultimately? Spain Is not pre-
pared to enter the war. She never
was and nSver cared TO be. The con-
quests Of her most glorious times
she attained without preparedness;
she conquered half of Europe and
explored all America. founding tho
greatest empire in the world, and as
she did not care to prepare herself
TO keep It, It fell from her hands
Spain has now before her another
war, but this one is not a more or
less dangerous sport for military men.
1t Is the war OF peoples with all thj :
energies. resources and man power
against other peoples that fight with
the same impetus. This war Is nd.
entered into for promotion or 81.
military crosses IL Is a matter or -
and death, for the fatherland in y
purest essence, for independence IT,
civilization.
What would Spain do II this w.
goes on? The COZ iict is vital >
and must be resolved. and prepaI lie
ness is inevitable for war and aso :
peace.
Friends or enemies. that is the q. e.
ton. Neutrality is now imposs! {;
and II it were possible, what can -,
neutrals hope for when the Allies E. >
victorious. as they will surely be?
In the coming economic struge -
when the vlctors will consider tI".'
losses, and in what manner 10 mnna
up for them, barring all foreign pro-
duction and denying credit to fore IN
buyers. where and TO whom sHal
neutrals apply?
And then also the decision mus hs
made, because the frontiers will CON-
tinue to be the same, and German
whether the pro-Germans want i ar
not-will continue to be separated fr.m
Spain. MIGUEL DE ZAaRAGA.
Director OF La Retistd del Muu'o,
Spanish edition OF The word 3
Work.