The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-01
GEN. FOSTERS TRIUMPH
SEAL DISPUTE MAY BE SETTLED AT
THE COMING CONFERENCE.
Great Britain's Change of Front a De-
cided Diplomatic Victory for
the United States.

LONDON, July 31.-Much satisfaction is
expressed in official and mercantile circles
at the prospective settlement of the seal
question by aid of the Washington confer
ence, especially as such an arrangement
will remove a cause of hot discussion be-
tween the United States and Great Britain.
Although at the outset of Mr.. Fosters
journey diplomats and newspapers here rid
iculed the idea that there was anything
necessary to be done, ambassador Hay and
Mr.. Foster have completely changed this
view and Great Britain is finally doing
everything possible to meet the views of
the United States. Doubtless this is partly
owing to the support Mr.. Fosters idea re-
ceived from Russia and Canada. Sir Will
frid Laurier and Mr.. Davis have all along
favored a conciliatory attitude towards the
proposals of the United States. The con-
ference will meet in the third or fourth
week in October the exact date being left
to be determined by the arrival of the Brit
sh experts from the sealing grounds.
Great Britain will be represented by
Sir Julian Pauncefote, the ambassador, and
Prof Darcy Thompson. The United States
will probably be represented by John w.
Foster, Japan by the japanese minister at
Washington, and Russia by a commission
headed by DR.. Martens, professor of inter
national law at the University of st.
Petersburg, who was delegated by Russia
to hold the pourparler with Mr.. Foster.
Canada will be represented by Sir Wilfrid
Laurier and Mr.. Davis. The conference
will discuss the whole question as raised
by the United States, will draft scheme
of protection for the seals, with details for
carrying out the same. and will decide all
open claims. It's report will be adopted
referendum; but as Russia and Japan are
entirely favorable to the professions of the
United States, and as Great Britain is in
different so long as Canada is satisfied, the
conference may be said to be "a diplomatic
triumph for the United States and a per-
sonal triumph for Mr. Foster Unless it
results in a divided report, which Is rot ex-
pected the government concerned will i'm
mediately employ the scheme in perma-
nent agreement either in the form of an
agreement or a memorandum so that 1t can
be executed in the season Of 1855.
A Spanish diplomat who is in close touch
with Senior Canovas del Castillo the Spanish
premier informs the correspondent of the
Associated Press that it is useless longer
to attempt to disguise the fact that the
Spanish Ministry is in q very tight place.
He says: I'VE can keep up the war in Cuba
only SO long as our funds last, and the
When it comes we must give up the strug-
gle./ Now we are too proud a race to do
SO ut anybodys demand, but we can do SO
by pleading force maieUre in a war with
the United States. Such result natural
ly would be very unpleasant to us; but in
order to prevent revolution in Spain and the
overthrow of the monarchy, war is the only
way out. The premier knows, from Presi-
: dent Mckinley direct, that the President,
wishes
to save US from the cost and from the
bloodshed. But his Cabinet only partly
shares his views, while the Senate, the
House of Representatives, the American
press and the people of the United States
favor a settlement with big guns. President
Mckinley, however, while first for peace
has declared himself as not shrinking from
war il peace measures fail. This is the po-
sition, and naturally lends strength to the
independent course which General Wood
ford will pursue. His instructions will be
at the outset to attempt to obtain by peace
full means Cuban independence. He is deS-
tined to be defeated in mis- proposal the
moment it is made, for Spain would infinite
ly prefer war, with or without the encour-
agement OF other nations, to any surrender
on the Cuban question. This is the fact
and the premier sees no other way out
of the present impasse in Spanish politics.
He will court war the moment the United
States becomes imperative in its demands.
The wave of great emotion and patriotism
such war would call out in Spain would
naturally sink all threat ening domestic
questions and disturbances. The Carlists,
Republicans and all others would unite for
the nation as they could be united by moth
ing else, and when defeated, If Spain should
be defeated, Cuba could be surrendered
without imperiling all present political and
monarchical institutions
The Spectator. in a gloomy article en-
titled "Aggressions of American Wealth."
refers to the retirement of President An
drews from Brown University and Presi-
dent Bemis of Chicago University, saying:
1--WE scarcely escape the conclusion that
a conspiracy exists among the heads of
trusts in America to interfere with the free
dom of teaching in the universities, so far
as economic questions are concerned, in or
der that nothing shall be uttered which
has not received the trade mark of mOnop-
olist approval The paper pictures the
Americans reduced almost to the situation
of Russia by the censorship of wealthy
magnates over the universities, and says:
Capitalists have subsidized the pulpits,
bought up the press, seated Well-paiC attor-
neys in the Senate and finally have
stretched their hands out to the colleges,
such generosity as Mr. Rockefeilers. APP
parentlyy it is their intention to convert
the United States into a powerful oligarchy,
and they will extend the sway of that oil
garchy to other lands when they can"
The forthcoming issue of the National
Review will contain a long article on the
success Of the American bimetallic commits
sion. The article confirms what has already
been cabled on the subject and says: 1T is
now generally recognized by all except
ostricheS that Great NBritainS chief con-
tributon will be the reOpening of the In
dian minis which all who appreciate the
question must regard as a splendid sub
scription to the common pool
blowing RullbIas