The Portland daily press., 1896-12-08
MUST CHANGE ITS POLICY.
Secretary Olney On the Cuban
Question.
THINKS GOVERNMENT CANNOT
HOLD OFF MUCH LONGER.

HOLD OFF MUCH LONGER.
| Fifty Millions Low Estimate of American
| Capital Invested in the Island-Review
| Worse Instead of Better.
Washington, December 1.-THE report
dent Cleveland refers in his message to
Congress, states that "the relations OF
the United States with foreign powers
continue npon that footing of harmony
and friendliness which has been their
fortunate characteristic for SO many
most important questions which have oo-
oupied the attention of the department
during the current year.
| OF the dispute between Great Britain
aud Venezuela it says: 1t is most Rrati-
flying to announce that amica BILE oounsels
result, whereby the boundary question
aud its associated phases have been at
last eliminated as between this country
and England. A complete accord has
been reached between them, by which
the substantial terms of a treaty of ar
bitration to be concluded by Great Brit
ain and Venezuela have been agreed up
| on, the provisions of which embraces
full arbitration of the whole controversy
upon bases alike just and honorable to
| both constestants.
| 1t only remains for the two parties d1-
| rectly concerned to complete this equita-
bile arrangement by signing the proposed
formal Treaty, and no doubt is enter
tanned thai Venezuela, which has SO
earnestly sought the friendly assistance
of the United States toward the settle
ment of this vexatious contention, and
which has SO uDreservedly conf1ded It's
interests to the impartial Judgment of
this government will assent to the form
al adjustment thus attained, thus forever
ending dispute involving far-reaching
consequences to the peace and welfaf e
Of the western continent.
Coincidently with the consideration of
the Venezuelan boundary question, the
1 two governments have continued nego-
tiations for a general con vention, in the
| line of the recommendations OF the Brit
ish House of Commons, to which prevl-
oCs messages Of thePrssident have advert
ed, that all differences hereafter rising
! Between the two countries, and not
amenable TO ordinary diplomatic treat
ment should be referred to arbitration.
| The United States and Great Britain
having given repeated proofs OF their
acquiesience in the great principles In
volved, not only by treaties between
themselves but severally by concluding
like adjustments with other powers for
the adjudication Of disputes resting on
law and fact, the subject was naturally
approached in a benevolent spirit and the
negotiations have so sa tisfactOrilly pro-
| gressed as to foreshadow a practical
| agreement at an early date upon the text
of convention to the desired end.
Under the head Of Spain, the secretary
| in his accompanying report, which is OF
course endorsed by the President, speaks
| of the Cuban situation as follows:
| The situation in the island Of Cuba
has largely engrossed the attention of the
department. OF state during the past year.
| Its efforts to obtain trustw orthy infor-
nation and to insure due protection TO
citizens of the United States and their
property and interests within the theatre
| Of disturbance have bcen ably seconded
| by the consular representatives in that
scope of the hostile operations which now
affect the greater part of Cuba. she re-
ports Of our consuls are properly conf
Dental, and while precise as to the sew
elal districts touching which reports have
been received, the nature and sources OF
the information obtained are such as to
make detailed publication impracticn-
BILE, so that the department is not in a
position to do more at present than state
| its general deductions as to the position
| of the contending parties.
| Confirmed in the outset, as IN the ten
years. insurreotion which began at Yara
| in Oct0ber, 1868. to the eastern portion
| Of the island. where the topography and
| absence of settled centres especially fav-
ored the desultory warfare apparently
normal to this GLASS of contests, the
| present insurrection very early took pro-
portions heyoud those of it's predecessor
| and herewith assumed an aggressive
| phase, invading the populous central and
western districts.1
| Passing defensive lines or trochas ira
versing tie island from north to south,
| formidable bodies of the revolu tlonary
| forces early in the year established them
selves in the rich sugar planting districts
Of Santa Clara, Cienfuegos and Matan-
zas, made hostile trays almost in sight
OF Havana Itself, and advancing west
WoIu OhOOoON q iOo& IL udC 100 wiz
tobacco fields of Pinar del Rio, which
| has so far resisted all efforts of the Span
| ish forces to overcome.
| No prominent saa port has been attack
| ed by the insurgents or even menaced
| beyond occasional raids upon the out
skirts. A large part Of the 2200 miles of
the irregular coast line of OuDa, COM
prisipg the comparatively unsettled
stretches of its western extremity and
the inhospitable mountain shores Of It's
eastern part, is practically in the hands
of the yevoluti0nists.
| The character of these shores, filled to
the westward with shallow indenta tions
inaccessible to any but light essels OF
small tonnage, and to the westward
with rocky nooks to approach by night
and affording insecure anchorage for
larger craft lends itself peculiarly to the
"ALTHENE SKIN SOAP" 7a.,s; F.; O.,
NJ. D.. editor of stTbe Mod;cnL World" !"