SPANISH POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16435, 11 January 1917, Page 4

SPANISH POLITICS.

The persistent intrigues of the Germans in Spain—intrigues which in true Gorman fashion aro unblushingly directed by the German Embassyhave succeeded in forcing the reconstruction of the Liberal Cabinet. The Spanish Liberal Party has been traditionally friendly with France and Britain, and is accused by the pro-German propagandists of being hand-in-glove with the Entente. Nominally this Liberal Party controls a majority in the Cortes, but the party is so broken into groups and cliques that all Spanish Cabinets during the present century have been very unstable, leaders rising and falling, and premier succeeding premier in bewildering succession. Such a political condition obviously affords ( extraordinary opportunity to Ger-1 man intrigue, but the retention of. the Premiership by the Count of Romanones appears to indicate that j Spain will refuse to change her; foreign policy in favour of Germany. It is improbable that j Germany hopes to induce Spain i to range itself openly with the | Central Powers, but it would be I manifestly advantageous to Berlin if; it could secure the toleration of ai Spanish administration for its secret; submarine bases and could create j uncertainty in France and Portugal as to Spanish intentions. Immunity to Spanish ships from sub-1 marine attack might be given in ex-1 change for th ; s connivance, while the \ interests of tho German metal " endangered by the pro-1 posals for Allied economic action, after the war—would be served by pro-German domination in this richly metallic country. After the last general election, in April, 1916, ' the Liberals had 177 of 343 seats in the Senate, and 221 of 382 seats in tho popular " Congress," so that the Count of Romanones had a very ' small majority in the Upper House j of tho Cortes and both houses are I constitutionally equal in authority. j It has been frequently pointed out that in Spain even more than in i most neutral countries the Allied cause has suffered from the indifference with which our governments regard the incessant misrepresentations, and organised propagandawork of the German authorities for ( whom every German resident is al, secret agent. j