NEUTRALS AND THE WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 155, 30 June 1916, Page 4

NEUTRALS AND THE WAR.

If German efforts at Verdun and elsewhere have been influenced by a desire to impress neutrals favourably to their cause, these efforts have been in thia respect singularly unsuccessful. All indications go to show that neutral opinion is steadily going against the Teuton, and this is mainly because of the manner in which the Central Powers are waging war. The policy of frightfulness may have prevented some of the neutrals from openly joining us, but it has undoubtedly been a potent factor in inducing them to give us much-needed support in their power, and in the case of Holland, particularly, in helpiner us to make the blockade effectual by voluntary regulation of imports so as to prevent goods passing through neutral territory to hostile belligerent areas.

The attitude of Spain may be taken as . typical of the general attitude of Euro- 6 pean neutrals. In Spain there is a small a pro-German party, consisting for the « most part of tho indolent, unthinking * aristocracy Trho see in the Teuton cause a chance jof .'their own, return to. power. , They^Delitvo^Germany is fighting for a I return to feudalism and the suppression - of popular movements. This party has E been both noisy and active, and has given in some quarters a totally wrong impression of the real attitude of the people of the country. In a pamphlet which has just been published in Spain, entitled "Spain and the European Conflict," Senor Alcana Galiano, himself a member of the old Spanish aristocracy, explains that amongst his own class he is in a minority, but that the people of Spain are warm supporters of the Allies, and are convinced that their cause is the only one consistent with the real and best interests of tho country. After a masterly exposure of what he calls "German hypocrisy," he goes on to show that the political interests of Spain are harmonious with those of France and i Britain, that the Republican party has strong leanings towards Republican France, and that Spanish culture being Latin it must eventually stand with that of France and Italy. He pays a glowing tribute to Great Britain in words which are worth quoting. "No country," he says, "has less abused its strength. None has employed its strength more consistently in defence of the weak against the strong. Each of the small States in turn has/benefited by* this-~-Holland, and'now; -Belgium— so much to the spiritual and material union of the i different States, whether of America, Asia, or Oceania, under the influence of Europe. Its inviolable world-supremacy ' is the result of intelligence, not of dcsI potiam. Its 'egoism' allows the weaker i nations to live, arid by its support and protection the most remote corners of the earth flourish." In all his punlic utterances the Presi- ! dent of the Swiss Confederation has ■ maintained a strict neutrality. But . Switzerland has very strictly observed { the law of contraband, and early in the war the Government established a monopoly in foodstuffs, and forbade reexportation. The Swiss have made it f quite clear that they will not allow Ger- , man troops to pass through their terri-, ' tory, and the President on one occasion j ! said that all his people had the greatest ' respect and esteem for England, but ' they did not wish to be otherwise than , neutral in their relations with all the belligerents. Most Swiss writers look on the ' Germans as fighting for the supremacy 1 of caste, both military and plutocratic r The Dutch are undoubtedly in the 3 closest sympathy .with the Allies, and, as we have pointed out, they have rendered us very real help in connection with the 5 tilockade, often at considerable pecuniary a loss to themselves. They have also . nobly assisted in the relief of Belgian refugees. Rumania would have joined our cause long since if Russia had gained 1 any signal success iv the Carpathians, 1 and as it was she indirectly rendered v great aid to oflr cause by preventing the passage of enemy supplies through her territory. Sweden is the only neutral that is in any way sympathetic to tbe 8 Teuton cause, and in her case it is :- mostly a matter of pounds, shillings and 0 pence and fear of Russia. Germany may . hope to prevent neutrals from joining the Allies; she can hardly hope at this y stage to win them over to her own cause.