Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-07

nificent presents which grateful
Europe would have offered to Spain.
4 Foolish Exhibition
However. hardly ANYBODY hsa had
the courage to state plainly the truth
that Spain really behaved very fool
ishly and made an exhibition of her
self, as one might say. in regard to
anticipation in connection with this
trip across the Pyrenees. for which
the only excuses-if they are good
enough-are that Spain's isolation
was so complete that such thing as
this seemed marvellous. and also that
the undue exaltation of its import
anee was facilitated In the highest
quarters. 1t is right to say that no
body deprecated this exaggeration
more than the Count himself.
One who has spoken with blunt
candor on the subject Is Senior Cambo
the Cataionian leader. "As a Span
lard" he says, "it gives me great
pain to see the Importance which Is
being given to this matter. The
President of the Council Is, no strang-
er to this beating of the drum, which
everywhere In the world will be
looked upon as ridiculous. In An
DORA (the tiny republic in the Py-
renees). perhaps such an affair would
have created less commotion. 1t Is
absurd that in a country which has
2O.O00.0O0 inhabitants 1t should be
locked upon as an extraordinary
thing that the head of the govern
ment should go to Paris, where every
body is going at the present time.
and Just when so many things that
SO much AFFECT us are going to be
considered" He felt that a serious
mistake had been made and one
which would be prejudicial to Spain.
and the whole thing began with the
official note in the matter that was
issued by the government.
The great Question now is: What
is the real situation in Spanish for
eign policy? With what is a begin
ming of discussion with the powers
that are dominating Europe to be
made? What are the materials In
hand? What is the starting point?
The impression received is that on
the side of the entente the material
for the beginning is a list of COM
plants. On this subject there is an
illuminating and well reasoned edi-
torial article in El Sol. which says
that Spain has the right to be taken
into consideration In regard to the
problems which affect the future of
Ter destinies.
THE Count de Romanones," it con-
tinues. has experienced the satisfac-
tion OF seeing that France and Eng
land are disposed to proceed in such
way that our rights in this matter
may be attended to. And so that
the people may know what we fix
upon, let us enumerate briefly the
problems that may interest us: Mo-
rocco. Tangier. the Straits OF Gibral-
tar, the railway from London to
Dakar. the League of Nations, and the
freedom of the seas. 1t is the pro-
posal of France and England that
the Act Of Algeriras shall be annul-
led at the Peace Conference. From
the results of that Algeciras con-
ference there have followed serious
dangers and no small disturbance of
French. tranquility.
Spain and Morocco
THE conference of Algeciras was a
formidable weapon in the hands of
Germany. Now the two conquering
powers are about to study the ques-
tion of the management of Morocco
afresh. Can Spain remain absence
from deliberations In which the fu-
ture of Morocco is concerned? Truly
there was a time when We were at
such point that that absence might
have occurred; to such a pass did the
stupid policy of the last 1--WE years
lead us. Today the situation has been
changed in a sense that is highly
favorable to us. And If the concrete
questions are not prejudged because
that would be impossible), at least
the certainty evists that France and
England wish to treat with Spain and
will give to our representatives a
plenary Intervention in the settle
ment of the new Morocco statute.
The African problem in this respect
is detached from the general subjects
of the conference so that Spanish
representation may be included for
the occasion. Morocco is not for
Spain colonial problem. as some
critics have imagined. We should
not seek on African soil for a policy
of expansion, nor is it necessary to
initiate France or England in their
desires to extend their dominions to
the extent of forming a grand empire
of colonies. For US Morocco Is a
problem of general policy, intimate
ly bound up with the destiny of our
position before the world, the only
door through which we are permitted
to intervene in the pacts which the
great countries make together, and
the only means also of presenting to
the peoples a claim that there shall
be given to us the position that is
appropriate to US in the family of
the world.
'It would have been disastrous for
Spain to be absent from the discus
sions. at which the revision OF the
treaty of Algeciras will be deter
mined. We have been in imminent
danger of coming near to that; to-
day we have the certainty that our
intervention is appreciated. Is not
this second and very important re-
suit of the steps that have been TAX
en-? Other very important aspects
of the Spanish problems remain 20
be dealt with. We must consider
what is the position of Spain in
regard othe question of the straits.
the exploitation of frica, the League
of Nations, and other questions of
the same class. 1t will them be
understood how difficult it is to argue
upon the inutility of the recent Span
ish negotiations"
AS a footnote to these reflections
of Spaniards on the new situation
that has arisen in consequence of
Spains leap into the middle of the
world" a word may be added upon
what the Count de Romanones