Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-03-16
WE AWAIT AN APOLOGY.
Spain's Course Now Is to Send
 It Right Along.
SECRETARY GREsHAMs DEMAND.

It Was Sent Promptly and Without Wait.
 ing For the Return of the President.
 Spanish Minister Stin Pretends to Doubt
 the Allianca's Captain.
 WASHINGTON, March Is. - Secretary Gresham's vigorous demand upon Spain to apologize for tho insult offered to the American flag by the action of the Span. ish gunboat in firing upon the Allianca has astonished oven tho warm friends oi the Cleveland administration. It is possi. ble that if the secretary had not been con- fined to his lodgings by illness it might haye required several days moro in which to consider the facts set forward in the complaint of Captain Crossman, but the very informality of the conferences be- tween him and Acting Secretary Uhl has tened matters and resulted in sending the patriotic cable message even before Cap tain Crossman's sworn statement, asked for by the department on Wednesday,, was received. That statement reached the sec retary's desk. but had no effect upon the diplomatic negotiations because the secre- tary's demand for an apology was decided upon before tho statement was sent.
 There has been no intention, as intimat- cd, to await the arrival of President Clevo. land in this city before taking action be- cause although his advice and counsel in the matter would Do much appreciated by the state department officials. Acting Soc retary Uhl, in charge of the case, had at his fingers end all necessary precedents for enabling him to prepare tho message to the American minister at Madrid which promptly received Secretary Gresham's S signature. It is thought at the department now that there will be no further devel- opments in this international row until Spain has made q reply through Minister Taylor to the demand of Secretary Gresham for an apology
 Minister Muruaga's Action.
 An interesting and most unusual fea- ture of tho controversy is tho attitude as stunned by the Spanish minister in this city, Scnor Muruaga Diplomacy is not silence with him, for no diplomat ever talked with moro freedom or recklessness than he has done since the news first came of the firing upon tho Allianoa. Tho min istcr still insists that ho has been unable, with the aid of all the Spanish officials in Cuba, to identify the gunboat which fired the shot at the American flag, and repeats tho opinion that Captain CroSsman's story Is q fake Evon since the receipt of Cap tain Crossman's affidavit Minister Muru- aga has been inclined to regard the warliks Spanish gnnboat as n myth and Captain CrosSman's story as one on a par with those relating to tho annual visit of the sea serpent to American waters.
 Minister Muruaga was evidently aston ished when hs learned of Secretary Gresh- am's dispatch to Minister Taylor, but said at onco that tho sccretary's demand could not of course be complied with until the Spanish government had had an opportu- nifty to convince itself of the truth of the charge that tho Allianca had been fired upon.
 Nobody at tho state or navy department or elsewhere in Washington who has any knowledge whatever of diplomatic and na- | val controversies doubts for q moment that sooner or later the Spanish government will make the most abjeot and humble apology for the insult to the flag of the | United States and that 1t will then be pleased to wash its hands of all responsi- bility in tho matter This has beon the conduct of that government in the past, | and with no American warshipS cruising | in Cuban waters will undoubtedly be re- garded as all that Is necessary In the pres. ent case.