Evening star., 1897-04-01
Grant and the Spanish Butchers.

No measure can be applied to the amount
OF good sure to flow from the success of the
present project to send a Red Cross eApe-
dition to Cuba TO carry succor and COM
fort to the sick and wounded participants
in the dreadful struggle there. The plan,
outlined in the news columns Of this issue
is wholly in the hands of the American peo-
pie, whose subscriptions are necessary to
give the society its funds for the enterprise
This is a great opportunity, not alone to
help humanity in the abstract, but to par
ticipate almost directly in the Cuban war
which this nation has from time 10 time
seemed eager to do. The Red Cross work
in Cuba will do almost as much 70 place
the insurrection upon international
standing. by introducing the methods of
caring for it's victims that have the uni
versal sanction of civilized governments.
as would the direct recognition by this gov
ernment of the struggling insurgents
belligereuts- The project has the unqua,i-
fled approval of Gen. Daniel e. Sickles, a
sturdy warrior, and yet. The interview
with him shows gentle enemy. He recog-
nizes the fact that while war Is cruel 1t
need not be inhumane. Courtesies are pos
sibie between antagonists that become al
most as Imperative duties when the right
scale of measurements applied But Gen
Sickles Is more than theorist III this par
ticuiar matter for he was minister to Spain
during portion of Cuba's former struggle
for liberty and he delivered to the govern
ment at Madrid significant message from
PRESIDENT Grant. who was himself one of
the kindliest of foes. Gen. Sickles speaks
with the detestation of humane soldier
OF the atrocities of Spanish warfare in
cuba the butchering of women and chill
dren and the assaults upon hospitals filed
with sick and wounded. He continues:
The Spanish government was forced to
deslst from such methods in is last Cuban
war by the positive stand taken by the
UEited States. Gen. Grant simply said that
the var In Cuba would have to be carried
on In some other method, OF the United
states would interfere. and he told me to
50 inform the Spanish government That
Is just what we should do again.
President Mckinley knows by close ex-
perience the hardshps of war. Like Grant
and Sickles. he has seen and felt the Bit
terness of interI ecine strife, the need of
humane treatment of the victims and the
horrors that flow from a neglect of the
provisions for their care and comfort. He
succeeds to an unmistakable opportunity
that was clearly disregarded by Mr.. Cleve-
land. who by his failure to insist, as did
tually aided in making the Cuban rebellion
an offense to all humanity. Mr.. Cleveland's
omission makes Mr.. Mckinley's duty in
the premises all the palmer. The success
of General Grants protest established a
precedent that cannot be discounted. The
necessity for such intervention exists today
as strongly as it did upwards of twenty-five
years ago. Ii was then prompted by the
demand of the nation. which now feels that
its patience under the Iong-continued policy
of partisan neutrality has been exhausted
and will probably speak in plain tones In
the form Of generous contributions to the
Red Cross fund The President could per-
haps avoid much of the necessity for such
an enterprise as that now proposed by
cabling at once to the American minister at
Madrid instructions similar TO those sent
TO General Sickles by Grant.