New-York tribune., 1896-12-28
PRICE THREE CENTS.
ONLY DE BLOWITZ'S HUMOR.
SCARCELY A RIPPLE OVER THAT EURO
PEAN WARNING"
CIEvELAND's PURPOSE NOT TO INTERFERE m
CuBA-DRAwING- ROOM INTRIGUEs RESULT
IN THE WANING OF CUBAN sENTI-
MFST IN WASHINGTON.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.1

washington, Dec. It.-Ine absurd StoTy tesV
graphed to THE London Times by its Paris
correspondent. according to which warning
had been conveyed to the United States by one
or more OF the great European Powers not TO
interfere in the struggle now going on between
Spain and her rebeous subjects In Cuba, never
caused the slightest ripple Of excitement here.
That such idiotic baderdash should for single
moment be dgnhed by denial on the part OF
the State Department and the German Embassy
is one Of the strangest features Of latter-day
diplomacy and susceptible Of an explanation
only on the ground that both these great estab-
lshments absolutely incapable OF appre-
ciating NJ. de Bowitz's peculiar Christmas
humor No one certainly. who has taken the
trouble to watch the OF this versatile
journalist for the last twenty years has taken
him seriously. except it be possibly himself.
WHY THE STORY is ABSURD
A little bit OF reflection will demonstrate the
absu:dity Of the whole story. Assuming, for the
sake Of argument. that the present object OF
European diplomacy is to prevent interference
by the United States in behalf OF the Cuban
revoutionists. that object certainly will not be
attained by formulating warning" offensive
no matter what the form or language In which
it might be couched. whose first effect would
be to consolidate and unity public opinion on
this side Of the water, and array It solidly In
support Of Administration resenting such
European dictation. on the other hand 1t must
have become perfectly clear by this time to
every Government sbroad-and to believe other
wise is to assume that the representatives OF
thes, governments stationed here either do not
know their business have failed to keep their
Governments properly and promptly informed.
neither of which propositions Of course, IL
true-that the present Administration Is actu-
ated by passionate desire to go out OF
Office without having done anything In the
Cuban matter. The merits demerits Of such
a policy are not under consideration The fact
is that Mr.. Cleveland is opposed to interfer-
ence This being the case. would any foreign
Government really desirous Of aiding Spain,
would Spain herself. do anything to drive so
valuable and important IN ally-and the woro
IS not used as term OF reproach or IN any
offensive sense-as Mt Cleveland Is az this
moment into open hostility-and he obviously
would be. should such course be pursued ny
any European Power-instead of doing every
thing TO make 1t easy for him to maintain his
present attitude OF benevolent neutrality? Tho
"denials" OF the State Department are ordi-
narily of little or no value. but In this instance
its denial Of NJ de BowitZ's silly yarn Is sup
norted both by common-serse and experience
No one certainly who has studied the history
Of the Monroe Doctrine. and VINO mas not yet
forgotten the vigorous application or mat Doc-
trine within less than year. could ne Haoe W
believe that any European Government wou'o
ignore the tremendous power or unanimous
nublic sentiment in a country like the United
States aroused as it would be by threats ana
"warnings" or that an Executive, even thous"
he be the pltentee Of an Hawaiian po"c''
would or could do anything except RESENT
promptly and effectively any attempt on the
mart of European Power to say what shou'o
or what should not be the attitude OF the oh''eo
States with regard to Cuba.
THE PRESIDENTS TASK AN EASY oND
Rut II will be easy for Mr. Cleveland TO MAIN
tain to the close OF his term the attitude OF oe-
nevolert neutrality outlined in his last afnuai
Message Ii certainly will not be oiihcuit IL '"e
insurgents fail within the next few weeks 70 scor7
a decided victory. for the wave OF sympa'ne''o
enthusiasm which swept the country anu |o"-
gress in particular. upon the receipt OF 'he news
., Maceo.s death is unmistakably subsiding.
Nuch Of this Is due so far as Congress Is COM
ccrned. to the unusual. not to say grotesaue'
nropaganda made here in behalf OF the CUBAN
revolution. 1t is an open secret that mucn II
not most OF the Cuban enthusiasm IS lahheo
into life. nurtured and made to break into lurid
different. to social or literary triumphs. because
they have palled upon their senses. seek more
generous excitement i'm the wider field or dipio-
matte intrigue There at least two houses
IN Washington which, without eXaggeraton' can
no called nurseries of Cuban sentiment Ihey
a-e said To have had something to do with tns
unexpectedly prompt action recently taken oy
the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
They are likewise held responsible FOR the con-
version of ordinarily stad and siow-go'ns
Senators into Hotspurs OF the most pronounced
tvpe The belief that this Is true ana the sus-
plcion furthermore. that the opposition In GER
tain quarters to the passage of the Cameron
resolution in the Senate is not 50 much due 10
a wish to discharge a great public duty con-
scientiously as to desire to please WOMAN
prominent In the diplo matte corps nave pro-
yoked a feeling of Indifference. not 10 say hos'
tilty and disgust. outside OF this comparatively
email circle. which has spread with great ra-
pidity among unsophisticated members OF 'n9
,ower house The late outbreak OF 'conserva-
,ism" In the popular branch Of Congress Is cer-
tainlv difficult to be accounted for otherwise.
The average Representative from the rdrai dis-
tricts it must be admitted. has his prejudices.
and the sight of great social leaders engaging In
nolitical and diplomatic intrigue arouses one
of them His mind Is incapable OF distinguish
ing between the comparatively harmless antics
NJ a Washington drawing room and the sinful
plots and counter-plots laid In the salons OK
some Versailles beauty in the last century. Ii
offends his old fashioned notions OF propriety.
whatever other people may think OF II. Under
such conditions ii Is not surprising that senti-
ment In favor of doing something for the
Cubans makes little or no headway
VIEWS OF A FRIEND OF CUBA.
A friend Of Cuba In Congress summed up the
situation by saying:
Nothing OF course. will be done by Mr.. Cieve-
lands Administration. He will not even pursue
the one course that would suggest itself to the
., .nolitical lay mind-put himself In cOmmuni.