The Washington herald., 1918-07-28
IMPORTANCE OF PARIS TO
ALLIES URGED BY THOMAS
Necessity to Hold French Capital Intact at All
! : Costs Emphasized by Former French
Minister of Munitions.

Barcelona Is treated almost as q
conquered town by German agents.
who even demand that the gov
eminent shah protect them from be-
ing insulted as spies while they ar
range with lurking U-boats to sink
ships that leave the harbor. That
the accused police superintendent
was in German PAT. receiving 3.-
900 pesos O MONTH was known to
the higher authorities in Barcelona
who refused to take action. the anti
German organs announce. And even
yet Bravo Portillo has not been ar
rested and remains free to con-
tinue his alleged crimes. such as
the arrangement for sinking the
"JoaQuin Mumbru," concerning
which plot documents in Portillo's
handwriting have been found. writ
ten before the ill-fated ship went
forth to meet Q submarine whose
captain stood. notebook in hand.
and read on particulars Of his vic
tins cargo.
Corruption stapendous.
The work of corruption by the
Germans in Spain. especially In Bar
celona. has been stupendous. They
have captured the of1cial machine.
and distributed bribes with astound-
ing liberality and audacity. The
operations OF Bernstorff and his
gang in America pale into obscurity
beside what is going on in Spain.
German espionage in Barcelona Is
said on good authority to be respon-
sible for the loss Of at least one
half the ships that leave Spanish
ports and are sunk by submarines.
It was the allied counter-espionage
service. and not the Spanish au-
thorities, as IL admitted by the
Spaniards themselves. that discov-
cred the Palamos plot, by which the
liner Provence" was torpedoed
through the connivance of q Span
ish naval officer.
These and other charges easily au-
thenticated are met by the pro-Ger-
mans in Spain with counter-charges
Of spying brought against the allies.
A branch department Of the United
States embassy is denounced as an
espionage agency Of the worst class,
and the alleged kidnapping by allied
agents Of an Italian at Barcelona Is
harped upon to show how the allies
violate the neutrality Of Spain. The
Germans even have the cheek to cite
ECCcuI ALlcElCau uOIc 70 Spain
supplying the government with proofs
that submarines were supplied with
petrol OF the Spanish coast as evi-
dence of the activity of allied spies.
who swarm all over Spain, especially
in the seaports. the Germans declare.
What Is the Official attitude Of the
government towards these charges
and counter-charges? Aside from the
case Of Bravo Portillo, which may re-
suit in some action. II appears from
my information to be one OF apathy.
Looked on with Apathy.
Complaints Of both sides, probably
equally reliable or unreliable. are re-
garded by the Spanish government
and people with supreme indifference.
according to the "Accion." the organ
of the government Acts Of espionage
by Germans and allies are patriotic
and natural, an inspired statement
declares. so long as they do not In
fringe the laws OF Spain. Spaniards
have other things to think of than the
quarrels of foreigners. The future OF
Spain depends on neither group, but
only on Spain herself; no time must
be wasted over foreign interests, but
Spaniards must work to prepare fol
the coming economic struggle.
This attempt to trim is regarded
with Indignation by partisans of the
allies in Spain.
COPYRIGHTED, 1873 by The Mcclure Newspapei
Syndicate.