Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-14
AN OFFER TO SPAIN
It is Claimed That It Was Sent
Last Friday.
IT CANNVF HAVE REACHED MADRID
Good Offices of This Country Ten
dered.
Projected CUBAN REFORMS

LONDON. April 14.-A dispatch from
this afternoon. says:
'Senor Canovas Del Castillo, the Spanish
premier, is ill and cannot he interviewed.
His relatives, however, confirm the exist
cree of a communique from President
Cleveland. But. in the present state of
public feeling. it will be impossible for the
government to accept his offer. Matters
are very complicated, and, while the gov
eminent will do everything in it's power to
avoid a quarrel with the United States, it
will prefer to fight rather than lose Cuba
through foreign pressure. The coming
cortes will grant Cuba every reasonable
franchise to be enjoyed under the Spanish
flag"
Drafting n Note to Spain.
Notwithstanding positive den:als the
statement is reiterated that the President
has decided to offer to mediate the differ
ences between Spain and Cuba, and that
overturss have actually been opened to
that end Not only is the statement re-
peated, but it is done with circumstantiali-
ty of detail.
According to the story as now told, Sec
retary Olney prepared a dispatch on this
Tuesday, and submitted the draft to the
President the next day. The President dis
cussed the matter thoroughly with the Sec
retary of State, and made a number Of
pencil memoranda on the manuscript.
Thursday smooth copy of the note as
revised was laid before the President.
Again he deemed it advisable to modify the
language in several particulars. Although
the alterations were few and brief they
necessitated making an entirely new copy.
The Note Sent Friday.
According to the story. this was drawn
State and put in the foreign mail bag
which left the State Department that after
noon for New York. The mail package is
saId to have left the department In ample
time to catch the mail steamer leaving New
York Saturday morning.
Provided this is all true and the dis
patch was not recalled after it reached
New York. Secretary Olney's alleged in
structions to Minister Taylor Offering medi-
alton, arc now well on their way across
the ocean to their destination at Madrid
1t is said that they substantially tender the
good offices" of the United States to bring
about peaceful settlement of the differ
erces between the Spanish government and
the Cuban insurgents.
Little Credcnce In the London, Ren,rt
1t would therefore appear that Secretary
oiney alleged UlSpatch mas not yet had
time to reach the Spanish capital At any
rate little credence is placed in the report
published in the Pail Mall Gazette that
Senor Castillo. the Spanish premier has re-
ceived communication from President
Cleveland. The denial at the State Depart
ment OF the existence Of such a communi-
cation is therefore not so significant as
would otherwise have been the case.
Reforms In Cuba.
1t is surmised that the matter is entering
into Spanish politics. and is perhaps being,
therefore, more or less distorted to serve
party purposes. The intmation of a pur-
pose on the part of the Spanish government
to grant large measure of local autonomy
to the Cubans confirms an understanding
that has obtained here to the effect that
the abuses of which the Cubans complain
and which have served as the basis for the
present rebellion, will be largely abated by
the Spanish government just as soon as this
can be done without the appearance of COM
pulsion. against which Spanish pride revolts
and 1t is perhaps a knowledge of this fact
that has operated to shape the present at
f1tude of our administration.