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Show SPAIN II INTO THE CBJFLICT Government at Madrid Fails to Keep Promise Made to France or Send Supplies Purchased Pur-chased for Pershing, INFLUENCE OF THE GERMANS STRONG Surprise and Indignation Indigna-tion at Washington's Efforts to Get an i Official Explanation Are Without Result. By H. H. STANSBTJRY, International News Service Staff Correspondent. WASHINGTON, April 8. Supplies purchased pur-chased In Spain by General Pershing for the expeditionary forces in France have not been released. The financial credit for France promised by Spain In return for the prMlei;e of Impoiting American cotton has not been granted. The United States has not been permitted per-mitted to benefit by the agreement between be-tween Washington and Madrid, signed by representatives of the two governments on March 7. Threats to sink Spanish ships and German political propaganda In Madrid are hold to be responsible. The outcome of the Interna tior.al po litical situation thus dove toped Is dc-j dc-j clared to be of greater consequence, than the slight materhil embarrassment to either France or the United States. A government crisis which will throw the Influence of Spain either way or against Germany, or reveal the impotence of the nation in world affairs, is expected to be the immediate result. FLEET HIDING IN SHELTERED PORTS. j Semi-official reports received here to-j to-j day revealed that Spanish ships, such as j at one time represented the proudest merchant fleet on the high seas, are now hiding In the sheltered harbors of Vigo, Cadiz and Barcelona. Their owners will not permit them to sail through fear that the threat of the German submarine commanders will be executed. It is doubted doubt-ed in official ciroles that the Madrid government gov-ernment will prove sufficiently strong to make a serious defense for its rights as a neutral. With full expectation that the trade agreement concluded here a month ago would be promptly ratified in Madrid, he war board immediately provided the Spanish ships detained in port with bunker bunk-er coal. Exports which Spain wanted and badly needed were also released under the license li-cense system, and even mbre generously j than the terms of f the agreement re-I quired. During March 10 per cent more j cotton was allowed to go out than had leen contemplated under the reciprocal arrangement. Large shipments of railway rail-way equipment and great quantities of machine oils were also released. GREAT SURPRISE AT WASHINGTON. There was both surprise and Indignation Indigna-tion at the state department and the war! trade board when the' French government ! reported that the section of the agree- 1 ment under which France was to be given ; a financial credit in Spain had not be- i come effective. The French had not asked for a loan, but Spanish money was to be made available for the purchase of army supplies in Spain upon securities furnished by the French government. The United States had agreed to let Spain have cotton only upon the agree- (Contimied on Page Thirteen.) 'SPAIN MAY BE DRAWN .10 HE fdLICI (Continued from Pa1?e One.) mint that thih credit be made available. avail-able. xt came the information that t lie supplies of beans, blankets and muiet purchased by General Pershing for the American forces were not moving. It had hecn agreed these commodities and the mules would he released in rei urn for bunker con) which was already being supplied sup-plied the Spanish fillips and for American railway materials which Spain was being be-ing permuted to take out. HUN INFLUENCE AT THE BOTTOM. All efforts to get an official explanation explana-tion from the Spanish government have been without result. Confidential reports, however, reveal that German influences are at the bottom of all the delay and trouble. Ten days ao, when the Spanish ship Mnnlevedio was a short distance off Cadiz, Ca-diz, bound for the I'nited States, the vefcvel was stopped by a German submarine sub-marine commander. The vessel carried i nothing of a contraband character, but , was ordered back to purt under pen-I pen-I ally of being sent to the bottom. I In attempting to expialn this action, the German representatives at Barcelona i said no Spanish ships would be allowed I to return to American ports, aa they would be seized in the same manner that Dutch ships had been taken. The war trade board immediately had ai oliVial announcement made that was a guarantee against seizure. Threat to Sink Ships. The Germa n authorities got around this by renewing their threat to sink all Spanish ships engaged In carrying commodities com-modities obtainable only under the recent trade agreement. The result was that but few ships have left the Spanish coast since that time. It was said officially by the war trade board representatives that the wharves in the United States where Spanish ships are accustomed to load are now piled high with commerce which cannot be moved for lack of ships. These great quantities of cotton and machinery were mentioned as evidence of the desire of the United States to keep its part of the agreement. Acute Labor Situation. , Commerce reports received show that the cotton mills (n the vicinity of Barcelona Barce-lona had less than two weeks' supply of raw material on hand ten days ago. Many thousands of persons in Spain are afforded a livelihood by the industry and the effect of discontent which comes with Idleness and hunger, it is thought, may soon produce a serious situation. The final demand of the German diplomatic diplo-matic representatives is understood to be against ratification of the reciprocal agreement, which affects botli France and the United States. Prior to the receipt of this information it had been understood under-stood here all necessary official approval had been given. The Spanish ambassador, Senor J. Ri-ano, Ri-ano, declined to make any comment upon the developments. State department officials of-ficials also maintained silence on the ground t lit negotiations had been bandied through the war trade board. |