▁who ▁wrote ▁a ▁recommendation ▁letter ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁Cort ina ' s ▁language ▁text book . ▁Natural ized ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁he ▁visited ▁Spain ▁every ▁few ▁years ; ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁Cort ina ▁extended ▁his ▁voyage ▁to ▁Ven ice , ▁where ▁he ▁meet ▁his ▁king ▁personally . ▁Ne ither ▁press ▁of ▁the ▁era ▁nor ▁present - day ▁histor ians ▁explain ▁exact ▁nature ▁of ▁his ▁activities ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ; ▁one ▁author ▁notes ▁that ▁no ▁tang ible ▁results ▁of ▁his ▁political ▁mission ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁are ▁known . ▁ ▁It ▁seems ▁that ▁Cort ina ▁was ▁most ▁active ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 – 1 8 9 8 , ▁during ▁the ▁run - up ▁to ▁the ▁Spanish – American ▁War . ▁Bus y ▁in ▁the ▁His pan ic ▁New ▁York ▁community ▁and ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁a ▁daily ▁Las ▁Nov ed ades , ▁he ▁tried ▁to ▁confront ▁the ▁anti - Span ish ▁f ren zy ▁of ▁American ▁press ▁and ▁compla ined ▁about ▁lack ▁of ▁assistance ▁on ▁part ▁of ▁Madrid , ▁the ▁charges ▁which ▁thanks ▁to ▁V áz quez ▁de ▁M ella ▁reached ▁the ▁Cort es ▁and ▁the ▁government ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁Following ▁a ▁visit ▁in ▁Spain , ▁starting ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁Cort ina ▁changed ▁the ▁tone ▁of ▁his ▁press ▁endeav ors ; ▁he ▁switched ▁to ▁advert ising ▁the ▁claims ▁of ▁Carlos ▁VII . ▁Thanks ▁to ▁his ▁efforts ▁few ▁US ▁period