Spain  is  not  intellectually  neutral  or  unmindful  of  the  effect  of
her  attitude  upon  Latin  America,  and  this  is  shown  by  the  number
of  newspapers  on  the  Allies'  side,  as  La  Epoca  and  La  Corres-
pondencia  de  Espana. An  immediate  response  was  given  to  the
pro-Ally  utterances  of  the  Conde  de  Romanones,  who  said  on
April  17:

"Spain  is  the  depository  of  the  spiritual  patrimony  of  a  great
race. She  has  historical  aspirations  to  preside  over  the  moral
confederation  of  all  the  nations  of  our  blood,  and  this  hope  will
be  definitely  destroyed  if,  at  a  moment  so  decisive  for  the  future


LATIN  AMERICA— ELLIOTT  151

as  this,  Spain  and  her  children  are  shown  to  be  spiritually  di-
vorced."

If  Spain  fails  in  leadership  the  love  of  Latin  America  for  France
will  be  the  more  emphasized,  is  the  conclusion  one  draws  from  the
speeches  and  writings  of  Ibero-America. The  degree  to  which
South  America  feels  herself  involved  in  the  fate  of  France  is  dis-
played in  such  dicta  as  this  of  Victor  Viana,  a  Brazilian  writer:

"In  the  great  Latin  family,  France  is  the  educator,  the  leader,
tlie  example,  tlie  pride. Thus  Brazil,  in  common  with  all  Latin
countries,  seeing  in  France  the  reservoir  of  mental  energy,  con-
stantly renewed  by  her  splendid  intellectuals,  has  as  much  inter-
est in  the  victory  of  French  arms  as  France  herself. The  over-
throw of  France  would  have  produced  a  generation  of  unbelievers
and  skeptics,  and  we,  in  another  clime  and  a  new  country,  should
not  have  been  able  to  escape  this  influence,  because  we  share  all
the  movements  of  French  thought. The  reaction  of  French  energy
which  created  the  present  generation  spread  throughout  Brazil  new
sentiments  of  patriotism. The  entire  world,  except  naturally
the  combatants  on  the  other  side,  recognize  the  justice  of  the  cause
of  France,  which  is  the  cause  of  all  the  other  Allies,  of  Belgium
which  sacrificed  herself,  of  England  which  pledges  her  all  to  save
the  right,  of  the  United  States,  of  the  entire  Americas."

While  I  have  been  writing  these  notes  the  political  situation  of
Argentina  in  regard  to  the  war  has  suddenly  crystallized;  extending
over  several  months  there  has  been  a  series  of  submarine  attacks
upon  vessels  of  Argentina,  indignant  protests  in  each  case  being
met  by  apologies  and  promises  of  indemnity  on  the  part  of  Ger-
many. 