KING ALFONSO OF SPAIN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 304, 12 September 1918, Page 9

KING ALFONSO OF SPAIN

AS SEEN BY/AMBASSADOR GERARD

A CHARACTERSTUDY

"Face to Face With Kaiserism," Mr. .'J. W. Gerard's new book on Germany, ■contains a chapteroii Spain which in•cludes an appreciation of King Alfonso. In view of the present words between Spain and Germany t the following extracts are of topical interest . You will meet Kaiserism in Spain and the other neutral countries of. Europe ns much: as you will in Austria or Bulgaria or Turkey. • 1 do not mean that Spain, for instance, is by amy means an ally/of Germany, but I do mean that the German propagandist has had free rein. I Bhalli never forget the fact that tho King of Spain, during my talk ■with him, remarked: "Remember that, •while I am King of Spain, I am also ■ Van Austrian Archduke." And not only is tho King of Spain by desoent and in "tha right of his father an Archduko of Austria',' but his mother was.aii Austrian Princess of the House of.'Habslurg. . Ambassador "Willard and I waited in the great, splendid room of theTalace. Inside, priests and officers, ladies, officials, diplomatists were waiting to present, petitions or. pay homage to their King. Outside in the courtyard the guard was being changed—infantry, i cavalry, and artillery all being represented. - A tuneful band, played during the ceremony, of guard mount, which •was witnessed, by, crowds"of poor folk, who are permitted to' enter' the 'Palace precincts as spectators. ■ •' ■ While waiting I was, presented to the Archbishop •of Toledo, head the Spanish': CJiurch, . resplendent in his' gorgeous ecclesiastical robes. Finally a Court official' came and said that I was to, go in to the King alone; that Mr. Willard was to see'him later. ; , ; - , I found King Alfonso in ' a small room about 20ft. by.l4.ft., He wore a • brown business' 1 suit, .a shirt, and soft,collar fastened by a gold safetypin—guite the style/.of'dress of . an American collegian. • He is tall and ■well built. • The King speaks, perfect English—withouta; trace."of /.accent. After -we had' talked a few , moments'l noticed ■ the* difference between Teuton, and! Batin; tho.ivast'- j abyss' ~which separates the. polito' and courteous Spaniard thinking of others,' anxious to be hospitable, and the rough, conceited, aggressive Junker of Germany. How often have I found' that we ourselves, although pood-hearted and easy-going-ill comparison with our friends in South and Central; America, do. not measure pp to the standards of Castillian courtesy. . . . ' Someone knocked at the door,, and King Alfonso rose'and answered.: He returned with odd-looking implements in his hands, which'F soon discovered ; ■ to be an enormous silver cocktail shaker j and two goblets. ' After a 'dexterous shake, the King poured out two large i cocktails',' saying: "I understand that| you American gentlemen always drink in the morning." I had not had a 'cock- ' tail for years, and if I had endeavoured to assimilate the drink so royally pre-' 'pared for me.l should have been in no condition to continue, the conversation. I tliink King Alfonso himself was quite rolieved when, after a sip,. I put my cocktail behind a statue. I noticed that he camouflaged 1 his in a similar manner.' ■'■ v Unfortunately, as Maximilian Harden said, the Germans think of us as a land j of dollars, trusts, and corruption; and - other nations think of us''as.devotees.' . of the .oocktail and of poker, Their sohoolboys dream of fighting Indians in Pittsburg and hunting buffalo in the- • deserts of the Bronx. • A Manly King. The characteristic of Alfonso wliich impresses oiie immediately. is that of extreme manliness. Ho has a sense of humour that will save him from many ' a mishap in his difficult post. -He has sa, wide knowledge !of men and affairs, and above all, as the Spaniards would put it, is muy espan'ol {very Spanish), not only in appearance, but in his way of looking at things—a Spaniard of tile Lest type, a Spaniard possessing industry and ambition and bravery, a Spaniard, in fact, of the days , when Spain was supreme in the world. 'His. favourite sport is polo, which he plays very well. Indeed, the gome, which roquirea dash, quickness or thought, nerve, and good riding, is particularly well suited \to the Spanish character. The King showed, at the time of the' anarchistic 1 outbreaks, that he .was a. bravo man. Yet he must be' eareful at all times to remember that he is a constitutional King, that in a coilntry like Spain leadership is dangerous, that ho jhould always rather stand aside, let tho representatives of the nation decide, jthus taking no definite position himself. A King who abandons the council table to shoot pigeons ,or play polo is often acting with far more wisdom than a > , constitutional ruler who attempts by tho use of his strong personality and lofty position' to force upon his councillors a oourse which the majority of them , do-not .recommend. The Spaniards are politically an exacting people; but it is to ha hoped that they will not turn tho /heavy artillery of their criticism upon a King who serves them so gracefully: ■ and well. ' . ... : The King has a natural desireiotake a prominent part in the negotia-r tious for peace, but here again' is dangerous ground for him. He should be given a part, if possible, in the' preliminaries of peacp, but, while I believe that i he sympathises with ono of the Entente countries, tho Allies are .forced to recognise the fact, of whioh ho himself reminded mo, that h©, is not only ■ King of Spain, but. Archduke of one of ' the Central Empires, the son , of an Austrian Archduchess. Desire to Develop Spain. : The King,told me that he was most desirous'that American capital should become interested in the development of Spain. He did not tell me the reason for this desire, but' perhaps he fears that if German capital should take a great part in the development of industrial Spain the tentacles ofthe German propaganda and spy system which go hand in hand with her commercial''invaders would : wrap themselves around the commercial, social, and political life of Spain. Perhaps King Alfonso, when he wishes capital other than German to become interested in Spain, is thinking of the occurrences of 1885, when Spain and Germany so nearly clashed. In ■ that year the crew of a German warship hoisted the flag of the German Empire on the island of Yap, ono of the Caroline Group, an island long claimed by Spain. . The act so. stirred the peoplo of Spairi that a great meeting was held in Madrid, attended by over ono hundred thousand people. Later tho mob attacked the ! German Embassy; and tflro..down'the Shield and flagstaff of the Consulate, and burned them in the principal square of Madrid. In the end, Spain was compelled to apologise humbly to Germany for the insult to the German' Ambassador. • '''- Somo years before the war the King sent to the United States a special emissary to interest Ainorican capital in Spain. Means of transportation are very meaere. Ore,it mineral districts are as yet undeveloned, and many other opportunities for foreign capital present themselves. Spanish Catholics and thfl War. On the war Spain is hopelessly-di-vided: Conservative against Conservative; Liberal against Liberal. The usual 'German propaganda is furiously at work, all thij paraphernalia, bought newspapers—bribes, • , Roman Catholic

prejudice against former Frenoh Gover'nnients is a great. stumbling block in the 'way of the Allies-m Spain, for that country became tho refuge of many orders aud priests driven from Franco. Many of tho Spanish Catholics still, resent the action of previous French Governments towards tho Ciitholio Church. But whatever may bo tho faults of tho French Government in this particular—whether it or the teaching orders went Loo far—tho Roman Catliolios of Spain sooner or later will realise that, after.-, all, tho bulk of tho French and Italian and Bolgian people are their co-religionists, and they will recall tho attempts of Bismarck to master, tho Roman Catholics, of Germany and to bind its priests to. the will of tho Imperial Government, attempts recent enough to keep the' Catholics of Germany still organised in the political party which they created in the dark days of Bismarck's "war- for civ-, ilisation," as he dared to call his contest with the great Roman Catholiq Church. , Spanish and other Catholics throughout the world will remomber this, and 1 will romeuibor,- too, that from every.. valley of the Protestant section of the I German Empire tho eye can see a "Bismarck Thurm," or Bismarck Me-) morial Tower, erected on somo com- 1 manding height by the admirers of tho dead Iron Chancellor. I believe that after the war the Roman Catholic Church in France and Belgium will be on a healthier, sounder basis, that it will have more and more influence with the people, that it will be more popular and respected than before, unless some act on tho part of the l'opo should lead tie French and Belgians to believe that he favours Germany. Priests are not exempt .from military servico in France, and these Abbes, fighting, dying, suffering Wounds and privation, working cheelc to cheek with the soldiers of France, will do much to. bring about th 6 change. Tmet a number of these priest-warriors in th[o prison camps of Germany. They are doing a great work, and have earned the respeot and love of their countrymen—their fellow prisoners. ." • - I Several, of these soldier Abbes were i prisoners in Dyrotz, near Berlin, and I remember how they wore looked' lip , to by, all the soldiers. • What a con- j solat'ion were these noble* warriors who fought' a twofold winning fight—for'! their country and their faith. | ■ ' industrial Distress. Spain has suffered much from the | war.- In. tho north-east part called; Catalonia are located the manufactur- j ing industries of Spain, cloth weaving, j cotton spinning, etc. In Barcelona,.' tho principal industrial town, are many , manufacturing' industries. If these j plants cannot obtain raw materials or i a market for their finished products, : thon industrial, depression ensues and thousands are thrown out of employment. .! So. in tho north, where iron ore is,produced, tlie submarine 'blockade' of England,' chief'buyer of -iron ore and the sellor of coal, has made itself feltin every provinoo; and in the South,', the land of sun and gypsies, oranges. and vines, the want Of sea and land: transportation, the diminished exports . of wine and fruits to other countries, havo brought many of the' inhabitants > to the, vergevof ruin. ■ , In the .coast cities sailor's and-long-ohoremen aro out of employment, and this condition—these hundreds of thousands without work through disturbance-' of ,industry—has ripened the field for the Gorman propagandist and agent who threatens the King with re- ' volution,; should he incline to the Allies. . In no, country.of tho .world,has thftj German agent-been so - bold : and no j neutral Government has .Veen more for-.ciblyt-xeminded in its policy and conduct of the fact that it is always face to faco with -the Kaiser. , - - •