Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-18
THE NEW SPAIN

FTNHE South Americans must be feeling
L nowadays very much like the young lady
whose hand is sought by several wooers--
gratifed by its popularity, but disposed to
take its time about coming to a decision.
The king of the Belgians has been visiting
the Spanish American countries. Secretary
Colby is now framing speeches which he will
deliver when he lands on the other side of
the equator. And now comes the announce
ment that King Alfonso of Spain will be es-
corted to Buenos Aires by naval feet and
will use that city as hi, headquarters while
he seeks to bring about an entente between
tno,,SS the South ,ts,,h American countries
The South American pretensions of Spain.
are not to be whistled down the wind. 4.
generation ago they might have been ignoTh :
but the Spain of today is very diferenf'
country from the Spain of 1000, to 70 no
farther back. She was the one considers able
country of Europe which was not drawn into
the war. She has not been devastated. Her
resources have not been drained, and her
young men have not been killed on the field.
The war has increased her wealth. But her
rejuvenation began longer ago than 1914.
Certain parts of Madrid have been rebuilt
and the city is 80 changed that those who
knew 1t ten years ago would fail to recog-
nize it at the present time There has been
marvellous expansion Of her manufactures.
Her shipping is fourishing and her navy,
destroyed by the war with the United States,
has been rebuilt
The first quarter of the twentieth century
has produced new Spain, ambitious to re-
cover the place in the world occupied by the
Spain of the sixteenth and the seventeenth
centuries. And Alfonso is co operating
with the political and commercial statesmen
of his country in the task which they have
undertaken
The relations between Spain and South
America are intimate. Save in Brazil.
Spanish is the language Of the people. The
literature of Spain is read there Just as we
in the United States read the literature of
Great Britain. The great names of ancient
Spain are the great names of the Spanish
american peoples Spanish actors from
Madrid and Barcelona make tours in Ar
gentina just as British actors from London
make tours Of the United States. And the
historic comedies and tragedies which they
present are as familiar to their audiences as
are the plays of Shakespeare to American
audiences. The Spanish Forbes Robertson
plays the Spanish Hamlet and the Madrid
romedienne present in Buenos Aires the
latest popular successes of the mother
country.
The raw material OF an entente between
the ancient Spanish colonies and the mother
country is at hand 1t only awaits the con-
structive action of the statesmen. Those
statesmen know that barcelona is nearer to
Buenos Aires than is Philadelphia and they
know, too, that a Spaniard can understand
the point of view and business methods of a
man of Spanish descent much better than
these things can be understood by n man of
Anglo Saxon descent.
That Spain is ready to profit by her his
toric relations with her lost colonies should
be gratifying to all who are interested in
the progress of the world II the United
States cannot compete with Spain It will
be for the reason that our business men are
incapable of adjusting themselves to the con
ditions that prevail in South America. We
can offer to the Latin Americans market
for their raw materials and we can nav for
them In manufactured products Spain can
do no more.