Evening star., 1918-12-01

dousy affected BY the world war She found herself all
sides with opportunities join this the other faction Her
economic conditions completely upd at the outbreak OF
hoes and the subsequent blockade by German submarines Her
internal conditions unlike those of the begefent
with respect to the scarcity of food. ~.
Avaro Acaa Galano the Spanish public ably describes
the position of Spain when he the to great conag
ton (which reddens the horizon Of while Spain stands with
her folded gazing the flaming catac1ysm without knowing
whether the breeze will the sparks in her direction and set fire
to her dwellings,
However, early in the war; 1914, Premier Dao declared
the policy of Spain remain absolutely neutral and this policy
departed from iota by the Spanish government al
though is VIGOROUSLY true that the itself and the vast
majority of the commercial interests in Spain proa their
tendencies.
Government Spain the Spanish people deserve all
the credit for their attitude of neutrality when considers
tremendous number of German agents, pes merchants and
politicians which flooded Spain from Italy, France and Great Britain
shortly after the outbreak of the approximately estimated
that the number of German agents in Spain during the be-
hundred and one hundred and twenty thousand
Early in these German agents naugurated ex
tense propaganda Speakers with natives
Of Spain were EMPLOYED past Gin which England
and America had papated) eopened with view
pedcirg Spanish people against the Allies Newspapers
bought and moving pictures extensively The Allied
did awaken this condition in Spain for
and half when made combat this German
ganda.
The German propaga1dists promised great things to Spain
would the the side of the Central Powe-poises
which would tend deeply the proetaa particularly such
ta if the Kaiser should be successful he would
return SPAIN and would temporal
power the Roman church, Spain being enneny Catholic
H's7:""@
indeed remarkable that in view of this tremendous pres
brought bear Spain by Teutonc powers she able
and maintain her policy Of strict neutrality.
AS neutral Spain better able offer assistance the
Allied fight for democracy than she could have offered
active bellgeren She thus enabled to maintain her in
dr her mines and to cultivate her fields the products
of which were, large measure utilized by the Allies.
Spain country of wonderful natural The
ports from Spain the Allies during the period Of the amounted
about billion dollars (Spans ability furnish supplies incud
ing munitions of well oodsus Of help
to the Allied armies on the Western Front
The copper and lead mines worked to full capacity,
turning hundreds Of thousands of tons Of metals
and other of Spain available the Allies
of immense help in holding back the German
time when they nearing Paris.
Three shpoads of iron and copper shipped daily
from Spain England conveyed by British desoyes
the ships returned loaded with COAL greatly needed W SPAIN
most of them returned empty, to be reloaded.
The people of Spain entitled great deal of credit
their participation the struggle for freedom neutral nation
because they could not have furnished and would
furnished much assistance they themselves had declared