The record-union., 1897-09-28
Growing Out of the Recent Representations
by Minister WOOdford.
State Department Authorities of
the Opinion That Spain Will
Accept This Governments Offer
of Mediation, Though 1t Is Not
Believed That the New Ministry
VIII Consent to the Sale of the
Island.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-The pos
sibility of a rupture between the United
States and Spain, growing out of the
representations recently made to the
Madrid authorities by Minister Wood
ford, is regarded as very remote by
State Department officials. AT the
time Mr.. Woodford's instructions were
written it was the opinion of Admins
tration officials that a tender of good
offices of the United States would be
rejected by Spain. Their views have
changed on this point 1t is said that
the authorities are now confidently ex-
pecting that Spain will accept the Of
fer Of mediation in the same concilia-
tory spirit in which it was made, and
express willingness to consider any
suggestion which this Government may
choose to make in the direction of a
restoration of peace in the island
The optimistic view which the au-
thorities take of Spain's prospective re-
ply 10 Mr. WoOdford's note is based
on the belief that there will soon be a.
new Ministry in Spain composed of the
Liberals, with Sagasta as their Pre-
mier. But even with SagaSta in power
the authorities here do not anticipate
that Spain will be in a humor to en-
tertain a proposition for the purchase
of Cuba, which is now considered by
everybody as the only peaceful way in
which the Cubans can ever secure their
independence.
They do expect, however, that the
new Ministry will cheerfully accept
whatever assistance the United States
may be able to render in bringing
about solution of the Cuban problem
which viii give the Cubans a more
they now enjoy, but which will not re-
suit in the loss of Spain's sovereignty
liberal government than that which
over the island. And then will come
the rub.
1t is a very easy matter to tender
good offices and a comparatively easy
matter to get them accepted, but
as it is argued in certain quarters,
with the Cubans declaring they will
not accept anything short of complete
independence and Spain firmly adher-
ing to her reiterated declaration that
she will not withdraw her flag from
the island-the Administration will find
it as difficult to end the war peacefully
as Spain has in her efforts to close it
by force of arms.
Should the Spanish Government re-
ject the offer of the good offices of the
United States rendered by Mr. Wood
ford. it will then be necessary for
President Mckinley to consider what
shall be the further course of this Gov
ernment. The statement from Madrid
that he will make IAN ostentatious
proclamation to the world of the dis
approval Of the Cuban regime by sus-
pending diplomatic relations with Spain
and withdrawing the United States
Minister" cannot be confirmed here,
and it is believed to be premature, at
least.
A member of the Cabinet last night
assured the Associated Press CORE
spondent that the President would not
act hastily in any event. 1t is prob
able according to this authority, that
there would be further correspondence
between Washington and Madrid and
that unless some solution of the diff
Guilty should be reached in the mean
time, the President would communi-
cate full information to Congress at the
beginning of the session in December,
and be guided by the action of that
body.
THAT WOODFORD LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-The Ad-
ministration has had under considera-
tion for some time the propriety of
making public the text of the letter
presented to the Duke of Tetuan, the
Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs by
Minister Woodford, in which was out
lined this Governments view with ref
erence to the Cuban situation.
It was proposed to do this because
of the incorrect and sensational reports
that had been circulated concerning
Minister Woodfords representations to
the Spanish authorities. but it has,
however. been deemed advisable by the
President to withhold the letter from
the public for the present
1t is supposed that Mr.. Mckinley may
have been animated in this decision by
the wishes of the Spanish Government
TRIAL OF LUETGERT.