St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-02
SITUATION CRITICAL.
How the Spanish Attacks Are
Viewed iH Washington.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-Intense
interest eentered here tonight In the
dispatches showing the demonstrative
feelings existing In Spain against the
Americans regarding the Cuban ques-
tion and the statement that the gov
ernment is increasing her naval force.
Copies of the Associated Press dis
patches were shown to public men in
terested in the question. No surprise
was expressed at demonstrations which
have occurred; In fact, such were ex-
pected. The speeches In the senate,
extracts of which have no doubt been
published in the Spanish papers, have
had their influence on the masses of the
people; and being impulsive, excited
and inspired with patriotism, have
thrown them In an unfriendly move
against United States officials. The
whole matter Is regarded here simply
as that Of mob violence, of which the
Spanish government was not in any
way responsible. So far as could be
learned tonight no official news had
been received here by the government
Steps undoubtedly will be taken very
promptly tomorrow to ascertain the
situation through state department
channels, If Minister Taylor at Madrid,
or Consul Bowen at Barcelona, do not
anticipate the officials and make a re-
port. The Spanish minister, Senior de
Lone, heard Of the happenings in
Spain today through the press, and he
was besieged by the reporters for an
expression Of his opinion. He diplo-
matically declined, however, to say
anything for publication pending news
from his government which he expects
to receive. The violation of the con-
sulate Of the United States at BARGE
Iona makes necessary a disavoWal by
Spain, and the United States will in
quire Of the Spanish government what
amends will be made. The case finds
an analogous one in an event which
occurred in, this country probabl sixty
years ago, when a. mob Of persons in
New Orleans assaulted the Spanish
consulate at time when the Florida
question was uppermost in the public
mind. 1t was case of mob violence,
/ and the government Of the United
States made compensation to Spain for
the damage done. More recent cases
where the United States has paid, or
is about to pay, indemnity for dam
ages to foreigners for assaults COM
mitted on them are the cases of the
Chinese in Wyoming and the Italians
at Waldsenburg. In these cases, how
ever, the outrages were the work of
mobs, and on individuals, not officials.
The outrage against the consulate at
Barcelona is looked upon here by those
who have given an opinion on the mat
ter as that of the work Of mob Of
which the Spanish government Is not
directly responsible. On the contrary,
it has shown in the dispatch that they
had taken precaution to protect the
consulate and exercised due diligence
in the matter. This being the case,
Spain may be expected to make an ex-
preston of genuine regret or proper
explanation for the unfortunate occur
renee, and possibly reparation for the
damage done. This. at least, is the
opinion of Chairman Hit, of the house
committee on foreign affairs, who, from
his actual experience in diplomatic U.s.
ages, is we'll qualified to say what the
requirements of international law and
customs are in such cases. Mr.. Hit
Is confident that the attitude of our
government will be one Of great eau
ton at this juncture, and 1t is not
probable that any act or expression
that may emanate from 1t will add to
the difficulty Of a peaceable and honor
able settlement of the trouble The
danger, to his mind, to be apprehended
Is solely in some Incorporate utter
ances in congress that may add to the
excitement and precipitate a collision
unnecessarily. AS the case now stands,
nothing has happened that cannot be
easily and readily adjusted by the
means always at the disposal Of di-
plomacy and that, too, in a manner
that will leave no stain upon the honor
Of either of the parties to this affair
Even If the Spanish government should
be reluctant to undertake to do what
Is essential to heal the wound voluntar-
lily, which may we'll be doubted, there
is every reason to suppose that some
one or more Of the great European
powers who have. sound reasons for
preventing, If possible, any hostile col
l1sion between the United States and
Spain would exercise their good Offices
to bring about peaceful conclusion of
the incident 1t is said to be fact
that In countries of Spanish tendencies
and extraction these attacks upon the
personal representatives Of an Of
fensive foreign nation are most COM
mon, and scarcely one of the great
european powers has in the course Of
the present century escaped an on
slaught on one Of it's consulates. or
even legations in some Of the countries
of South or Central America. Yet
| these incidents rarely lead to ANYTHING
more serious than temporary strain
ing of the diplomatic relations and end
In proper apology and in case Of
the destruction of property or ill treat
ment of an individual, the payment of
! an indemnity. -
Herbert Bowen, the United States
consul general at Barcelona, is be-
lieved to be a very good official To have
He is man of about forty years of
age, a son of the late editor Bowen, of
! the Independent, and a New Yorker
py birth. He graduated from Yale in
the class of 1878. He has the reputa
tlon OF being a man of sound discre-
tlon and excellent judgment, cool and
WeH prepared to face an emergency
win great stability of character and
plenty of nerve. Now that the Span
! 1Sh officials have taken stems to rrotect
the consulate, it is not doubted that his
| personal safety is assured, no matter
| what the issue may be-
senator Sherman, the chairman of the
senate foreign relations COMMITTEES AFT
er carefully reading the dispatch. said:
VI course. the Spanish people felt hurt
at the passage of the resolution by the
senate and L expected some such out
! break 1t does not, however, change NV
! opinion of the wisdom of the action nv
the senate. l do not thing the incident
| VIII lead to any trouble between the
! two governments"
! Senator Lindsay, of Kentucky who
made a speech in the senate favorinp
cuban independence, said: THE out
rage seems to be the act of an ire
sponslble mob. Trouble may come out
OF 1T, but there is no cause for such a.
result. The mob spirit seems to he
! dominating two or three towns. bur
there is nothing to indicate that it has
| the approval of the government" The
senator did not believe that the renort
of the possibility of 1.-THE Spanish train
ing squadron going to Cuba was the re-
suit of the passage of the senate reso-
luton. What that body had done, how
ever, was precisely right
Secretary Herbert and other promi-
nent officials of the government. who
were called on could not he seem Ef