The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-29

most acute, ANALYSTS of modern life,
and who savagely fidicule the pomposl-
ties of the Spanish aristocracy, the par
barities of her bull tights, the ineffi-
cheney of her Industrial organization.
These writer's are sharp prods urging
Spain into the current OF modern ire
But the Spanish aristocrAcy is still
strong. 1t Is one of the few nobilities
In Europe. which is more than name.
1t still has leadership. And the aWak-
enng of Spain has engendered IN inns
leadership a desire for the cultural, II
not the political resurrection OF the
great Spanish empire.
1t is interesting to note in this con-
nection that King Alfonso had recently
planned trip to Latin America. lie
had planned to lay wreaths on the
graves of Bolivar ana other leaders in
the fight for Latin American independ-
ence. This trip had to be postponed
because of unsettled political conditions
in Spain. But a Madrid newspaper,
official organ Of the government, re-
Gently published an editorial in which
it said that this trip by SPANS KING
to SPANS former colonies VIII pc MADE
in due course. 1t added that there are
more than hundred million Spanish
speaking people in the, world, and that
these should be welded into cultural
whole, capable of Influencing world pol
ticies,
This Is almost exactly the idea that
Germany had before the war. she
planned to keep Germans everywhere
in touch with the fatherland, and weld
them into a cultural whole for the pur-
pose of forwarding German ideals and
aspirations. She proposed to eVade
the purpose of the Monroe doctrine by
her system of peaceful penetratIon IN
South America.
But it can not bee too strongly en-
phasized that this Spanish aspiration IS,
strong political influence in Cuba
and in Latin America generally, ana II
is one which seems to be largely over
| looked in this country. II anyone
doubts the reality of it, he can soon
| convince himself here in Havana. Let
him read the leading pro- Spanish news
paper. This newspaper is published q,
/ Spanish citizen. who was recently
made an hereditary count by the KING
! of Spain in recognition of his services
to the cause of Spain in America. Let
| the inquirer also visit the Spanish CLUBS,
both those for workingmen and those
| for aristocrats. Especially let him visit
the Centre Gallego, with its $4,000 mem
bers of many different classes from Ia.
| boring men to professionals. This club,
| which occupies one of the finest bulld-
| ings in the city, was founded by and
primarily for Spaniafds from the pro-
|
aggressively Spanish club. A Cuban,
one gathers, may obtain membership
| in the club, but only by becoming, in
sympathies and aspirations, Span
| lard. The club is thus a recruiting
center for the Spanish movement, And
| it is only one of several Spanish clubs
OF a similar nature in the city.
One of the most striking decorations
OF this club is full length portrait of
! the king of Spain. Homage Is here
| frankly paid to Spain and to the Span
ish monarch.
The church is said to be largely pro-
Spanish in the island. 1t is also said to
control more than half of the schools.
These church schools are therefore add
Spanish clubs as instruments Of pro-
| Spanish propaganda. The g1st of this
propaganda is that Spanish speaking
people the world over should be united
in sentiment and aspiration But 1t also
contains in Cuba an admixture of anti
Americanism. The Spaniard is in ef-
feet always telling the Cuban that the
| United States runs his country, that he
is not free man. Every occasion for
American interference is a special &C.
casion for this line of argument.
| Nevertheless the bulk of the Cubans
\ anti-Spanish. In the first place, they
are dominated by the aristocratic Gu
ban families who still hate the Spain
which they fought for ten years OF
bloody war that ended less than a quar-
ter of a century ago. The wounds Of
that war are not yet healed and they
work strongly against Spain. In the
second place, the intelligent Cuban sees
that the Plat amendment Is the best
insurance he has, because it means that
in case OF disorder the United States
win intervene and protect him. The Cu-
ban politician Is SELDOM really opposed
to the Plat amendment even when he
pretends to be, because he knows that
II he intrigues himself into a perfectly
hopeless situation, he can precipitate
intervention, and SO save his face.
fhus the two forces perhaps most
fundamental In the political life of
the island, and certainly most impor-
! tant to the United States, are the
forces OF Spanish and pro-American
sentiment, respectively. 1t would seem,
that American policy ought TO take more
account of this conflict Of sentiment, and
perhaps should make a more active ef-
fort to bring TO the Cubans attention
the good points Of our own culture. We
send the Gubans flivvers and straw hats
and armies of Intervention. But Spain
sends them books and pictures and
messages OF sympathy and good viii.