suited to the
Spanish character. The King showed at the time of the anarchistic
outbreaks, that he was a brave man. Yet he must be careful at all
times to remember that he is a constitutional king, that in a
country like Spain leadership is dangerous, that he should always
rather stand aside, let the representatives of the nation decide,
thus 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 the
use of his strong personality and lofty position to force upon
his councillors a course which the majority of them do not
recommend.

The Spaniards are politically an exacting people. But it is to
be hoped that they will not turn the heavy artillery of their
criticism upon a king who serves them so gracefully and well.

The king has a natural desire to take a prominent part in the
negotiations for peace, but here again is dangerous ground for
him. He should be given a part, if possible, in the preliminaries
of peace, but while I believe that he sympathises with one of the
Entente countries, the Allies are forced to recognise the fact of
which he himself reminded me, that he is not only King of Spain,
but Archduke of one of the Central Empires, the son of an
Austrian Archduchess.

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 that the tentacles of the 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, one of the Carolina group, an island long
claimed by Spain. The act so stirred the people of Spain that a
great meeting was held in Madrid, attended by over one hundred
thousand people. Later the mob attacked the German Embassy and
Consulate, tore down the shield and flag staff of the Consulate
and burned them in the principal square of Madrid. In the end,
Spain was compelled to hum