The daily progressive-miner., 1918-04-25
PORTUGAL PLAYS
 HER PART

British, holds one of the most bitterly
 contested sectors of the Western
 front? How many of you know tha,
 she has flung her fortunes into the
 scales with the allies on behalf of democracy and International justicer
 The viscount de Ate, envoy ex.
 traordinary and minister plenipoten-
 tiary from Portugal to this country,
 asked these questions in the course of
 an interview with him at the embassy
 headquarters.
 Our aims are like those of the United States" he continued. We
 have nothing whatever to gain in the war and are fighting solely for prin- ciple-for the right of a nation to determine its own affairs without die tation from outside. Under these cir l.cumstances it is little discoura ging
 to find that many even of your ofiici- als do not know we are in the strug-
 gle. Our ships are sometimes held
 up just as if We were neutrals. I have been asked recently by men who should know better whether it is
 likely that Portugal will be drawn into
 the war
 Portugal has nearly 5o. 900 men in the trenches in France. Her troops hold section of perhaps 10 miles ad- joining the British southeast of Ar mentiere. It must be remembered that though the British, the Portu- guese and the Belgians defend only one-third Of the line along the western front. there are opposed to them one half of the German divisions. The difficulty of the terrain and the num- yber of the opposing troops make it necessary to man these trenches more thickly at other parts of the line.''
 The little Republic has also nearly 30,000 men fighting in East Africa campaign Of the most arduous kind. Germany is here making her last stand for colonial empire She has armed the warlike blacks with ma chine guns and rifles The German commander has crossed into Portu- suese territory. where the joint arm ies of Great Britain and Portugual are slowly wearing down and destroying his forces. The climate is deadly one 10 European and the sight of a returning troop ship. filled with fever stricken victims of the African swamps. is one to fill the heart with pity. Yet the soldiers of the small Republic have no complaint to make. They. too. are devoting themselves to the duty that calls them.
 4 great number of Portuguese labor CTS are working in the munition fac tories Of France and England to re- lease men needed at the front. Por- tugese soldiers, but the difficulty of transportation, Of securing supplies, and the expense Of maintaining them make a larger army not feasible.
 Portugal is poor country, already deeply in debt and the expense of this war presses heavily upon her." ex- plained Viscount de Ate. Tn this great rich country Of yours s20, 900, ,000- coo can be raised without any strain. But it is not so with us Our resour- ces are very limited We can do so much and no more.'
 The Republic of southwestern Eu- rope came into the war to meet her treaty obligations. Her parliament announced it's readiness to stand Joy. ally by these whenever England should call upon her. The need came when the Allies, as a counter stroke to the submarine warfare. asked Por. tugal 10 seize the interned German shipping lying in her ports. This was done. Eighty per cent Of these Ger man ships were turned over to Eng land to aid her carrying trade. Berlin by declaring war upon Portu- gal
 Already Portugal had shown where her sympathy lay by shipping artil- ! 'ery-a modification of the French ! seventy-fve-to England, whence it was transferred to Flanders to Fland. CTS for the use of the Belgians.
 It has been charged that the new President of Portugal, Sidonio Paes, i 's pro-German. Viscount de Ate { brands this as Teutonic propaganda. ! The President has stated publicly | more than once that the fundamental foreign policy Of Portugal lies in the line of an alliance with Britain. Paes IS very popular, and at the coming election will probably be returned to power i
 The population of Portugal is be- .ween 100000 and 5000 900. Seventy one thousand young men come up each year for military service. But Portugal is Aot military country. War is to her deplorable necessity. Like the United States, she has been :rained for the peaceful arts.
 Only Germany has been taught hat war is a thing good in itself" said the Minister. The rest of US nave had other visions, other hopes. 1IIr for tho prooar< rx,o hoo.