The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-06-09
CALHOUN OPPOSES
ANNEXATION
GEN. LEE WARMLY PRAISED
Ms Sympathy With cuba--Caa See M Cap
TO the War, aad the Dsyssta-
tlou Is Growlan.

Chicago. June The Chicago Tribune
correspondent. Chaa H. Pepper, tolo.
graphs tho following from New York
hpccinl Commissioner W, ] Calhoun,
WHO returned here yeHteriay from Cuba
aayH that hc had formed the impression
AMI possibly handils wcrr the chief agents
Ia tho ihhurrrcllon. liu had not been
thrru three days before hc was oonylnc.
cal tho Mhoh strength ot the Cuban poo.
pla Is backing the lnsurrocllon lle ho.
oainr satisfied that In reality tho struggle
Of Cuba Tor the Cuban And that they
would night desperately Tor lndepund-
vnea Everything he subsequently saw
ana heard enlightened this belief.
calhoun had heard the reports Of pa.
cincauon by General Wcyler and had
credited them In some degree. Ills stay
Ia Cuha destroyed this notion lie could
not nnd tho pBcinehtion which waa re-.
ported, Instead he found signs of war
Everywhere. even at tho gates IT Iiaya.
na, Tho Spanish troops hold certain
parts 81 the island a. an army of occn.
patton. while tho insurgents wrrv making
constant ami often successful raids Mr
Calhoun was 20 impressed with these
evidences of actual warfare that he gave
out blunt statement that ho could aeo
no und uf Tho war and tha, tho doyauta.
lion Was growing
Nj Calhoun could not discover tha,
any approach TO civilized methods oI
warfare waA bolnE made on either side
Ito was overwhelmed with evidence TO
SHOW tho aifpeitlrs committed by tho
soldiers under wcylrr. particularly tho
EuoriIlaA, who form pari of the rrsular
army Such cases aa he WAS able 10 In.
NeatiEAt" personally generally proved to
bo correctly stated itp alec learned Il,
WIS true that tho Red crora aociety
was not permitted to exercise its Offices
OF mercy i-,woon tho two contondlnE
armies This refusal was made by he
spanish government
Mr. cuihouh'H personal inquiries and
Investigations have satisfied him that
tho starvation AMI suffering caused by
Woyicr's RECOMMENDATION order were not
exaggerated. lie saw the scenes Of mis-.
cry Ht Malanzas. which determined him
60 look no t,rlhcr into tha, phase OF the
war. because he had seen enough
wiIls Mr. Calhoun lid no, attach 20
much Importance TO bciligervney ~ 20
other phasoa Of the question. what he
raw dld not cause him any fears for
th~ United States In ease the policy OF
tolisrrnry should bc adopted by tho
administration AMI by congrons During
hls stay In Cuba Mr Calhoun gave
great deaf OF attention 10 the financial
conditions lie undrratood perfectly |
that tho hope or tho Insurgents 10 TO
win Independence ty hankrupting spain |
Nhiir hr dd not nee actual bankruptcy, |
he found that the crrilt OF the pcnln. |
aula Was growing weaker. that fnl,h In |
lis ability 10 pun through safely was
l"nH'nlng oven among spanish partisnnr
IN iirvhrH. and that In watching the
future progress OF the insurrec,lon. |
snoin'H ability To got money mus, also
De- carefully watched MIR Calhoun uiso
h"hrd much about tho corruption amone |
The fayorllon of CunoyHs ana Weyicr In |
thu payment Of the troops AMI financial
Arrangements 10 pay, which we're pinns
M. hut he lid not follow this branch
of the inquiry exhnuHtiycly. While not
charged with the responsibility of fotmu-
lntlng u policy OF Intervention or OF L,l.
iiscrncy. MIR Calhoun returned from
Cuba with his mind made up tina, no
'cnoomnEcmont should be- given the Cu-
bans To expect annexation 90 the United
S,at"a' II Spain will not permit them
To purchase their Independence ana the
Unlird states steps IN on the grounds
of humanity or OF commercial lntcr,s,s.
or OF political conditions. to stop the
warfare. In his view It should be with
o distinct ana specific understanding that
II la not step toward annexation m,
assimilation OF the mixed population Of
the island. ns he looked ~ Il, would rr
roo much FOR the United States. AZ lcnst
In thc present generation ...,s opinion
wnA stated with much rranknesa. both
to Cnhana and supnhrda. and do not
Violate any confidence In relutng Il hero
Mr. Calhoun concluded hy warmly prnu.
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