| Content Description | Enclosure in Bu 45/166
Discusses the feeling in Madrid that the British Government is hostile to Spain; discusses the Moroccan Question, and Britain's intervention in the French war with Morocco, which led the French government to limit the war to naval operations; when the Emperor of Morocco was ill, the British Admiral in the Mediterranean was instructed that if he should die, to proceed with a respectable force to Gibraltar and safeguard British interests in the Straits; Britain's actions in ensuring the freedom of navigation in the Straits have at all times been respectful of the honour of the Spanish Government; this issue has become mixed up with the entirely unrelated matter of the debt; it is preposterous that repayment of the fourth part, which is all Britain asked for, could have affected Spain's ability to continue the war.
Britain has not acted out of hostility to Spain; Britain has always been prepared to trust its interests to Spanish honour; discusses Britain's opposition to Spain's elevation to Great Power status; the causes of disagreement between Britain and Spain are entirely the fault of Spain; the worst of these is the Slave Trade; the continuing success of the trade irritates British people both on moral grounds and because £1 million is spent a year patrolling the African coast; in a recent case, an American steamer was captured off the coast of Cuba after landing 800 Africans; states that cases of this type have caused angry debates in Britain.
Suggests that allowing free immigration into Cuba might be a solution to the problem; another cause of dispute is Spain's insistence on exercising jurisdiction two leagues from the coast, and suspecting any British Vessels infringing this space of smuggling; the British Government believe that this contravenes international law; the prohibition on English visitors to Spain of practising Protestant worship is another source of complaint; if entertainments in private houses are not considered public and do not require the preliminary sanction of the Spanish authorities, it is not unreasonable to expect the same attitude towards religious worship; many Englishmen now live in Spain and make a great contribution to the development of the country's resources; it is hoped that these comments will be received with goodwill.
England is more likely to come into conflict with Spain than are other countries, because of her vast commercial interests. |