SPAIN AND THE ALLIES.

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 878, 4 May 1917, Page 8

SPAIN AND THE ALLIES.

A Second Greece. •\ v v-- ; .'iv IT is /quite clear that the new Spanish ( Premier is strongly and openly - pro-iGerman and 1 , that if j adminis-v tration Jbe aiot soon upset,' Spain .. may, give the Allies a:, good deal of -trotible.. Apparently the. position at Madrid is rapidly becoming •. akin: to/ that-, 'at Athens, save.that- with regard to Kins' Alfonso - he is not using . any : personal influence in favour of the Huns. - But the prohibition -,by the new Spanish Government of' the export of all rain- 1 era Is /is : clearly •a. marls .of the ■ Govern-ment'sill-will towards- the : Allies,- for it' is' from . Spain that Great Britain and France get a very large proportion, of the copper employed in the ■ facture of . guns and shells., **, * * ■ The reference -to 'Gibraltar sounds as . • if' the Spanish Premier's speech . had : been delivered from a paper typed in Berlin. It is an appeal to- .Spanish ■ pridei' and, l an artful attempt- -.-to--preju-dice the Spanish people against -Great' Britain. - And yet, had it. not been-, fori British' help, Spain would have never regained her independence and. turned out: Napoleon's armies. . Such is Span'jish 'gratitude for past favours. . -Great /Britain is not in the/ .least likely to (give up Gibraltar, and.; the Spanish /Premier knows this full. well. But in :his pro-Germa'n ardour lie- 'now hypocritically deplores the 'British hold, on the Hock "as "undermining' Spanish dependence." ■ ;■■' •* v.* ' . ■» .- -3f -'.-V It 1 remains, .'to be -.seen-■ whether.-.Great" Britain and France, can' brings Spain, or rather the new Spanish Government, to its senses.. Possibly, -certain .economic reprisals - may prove effectual in. bringing.. about the rescinding of the ' prohii bition of-the copper: export.V Spain will , find in the long run-, that her. Government is backing the wrong! horse. , ; ,