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Show SPAIN NOW HAS THE WAR FEVER I New York April 27. Spain Is pre-! pre-! paring for war A special government commission it became known today, has opened headquarters in this city for the purpose pur-pose ol purchasing cartridges auto trucks and aeroplanes of the latest pattern The Bank of Spain has given the commission unlimited credit and established es-tablished large deposits for the purchase pur-chase ol" supplies with the National City bank and the First National bank of New York. Spain's official representatives deny that their government is planning to enter the war on the side of the allies. al-lies. They explain their financial operations op-erations here thusly: ' Spain intends to be ready She be- war in times of peace.' The widely spread report that England Eng-land is furnishing Spain with the I money to buy ammuuitlon, motors and flying machines was denied At the same time, however, it was admitted that England is now backing a Spanish Span-ish firm in the construction af a larpe shipbuilding yard in Spain which will make a specialty of fast transport trans-port craft. All the movements of the Spanish commissioners who have charge of the purchase of the war munitions in the United States have been guarded guard-ed with unusual secrecy. The secret plans and purposes of the Spanish commission were obtained by the International News Service from a merchant who has confidential negotiations with the Spanish com j mission. ' The commission is composed of I three Spanish army and two Spanish navy officers." he said "The army j contingent consists of Colonel Manuel Rivero Balbln. Captain Bzarda and I Captain Louis Claros. The naval officials of-ficials are Commanders Fernando De jcarranza and Julio Moreira. Colonel , Balblu Is the president of the com-I com-I mission ! "I dealt with Captain Claros, Colonel Colo-nel Baloln being absent. "I said that 1 had heard that Spain wanted at least 250,000.000 rounds of ammunition, and Captain Claros answered: an-swered: I am not in a position to 'state the exact amount I can only say we are anxious to obtain deliv-iriets deliv-iriets by next January' at the latesL U -ou can deliver them by that time I think we can do business on a big scale '' Colonel Balbln and Captain Sard were interview ert today in the presence pres-ence of F. Xavier de Salas. the Spanish Span-ish consul. Senor Salas. acting as spokesman, said' "Yes. these gentlemen are here buying war supplies for Spain Our country is not going to war. but. we .-re prenariag for war. We believe that it is wise to be ready in these days of trouble The rest'of Europ.: is on fire. We do not know how long or how far this war will Bo." |