The age-herald., 1897-08-01
GREAT BRITAIN
 IS SATISFIED At the Prospective Settlement Of the
 Seal Question. SPAIN MUST RESORT TO WAR In the Event the United States IlteFi0r0S
 In Cuban Affairs. HER FINANCES AT A LOW EBB, And the Struggle Can Only Be Kept Up While Her Funds Last-0eath Before Dishonor Is the Castiian SIogan-A 'ee YonopoIists Denounced.
SPAIN MUST RESORT TO WAR
HER FINANCES AT A LOW EBB,

l London, July Sl.-Much satisfaction is expressed in official and mercantile cir cles at the prospective settlement of the seal question by aid of the Washington conference, especially as such an arrange ment will remove the cause of irritation between the United States and Great Britain. On the proposal Of MT. Fosters Journey diplomats ridiculed the idea that there was anything necessary to be done. Ambassador Hay and Mr Foster have completely changed this idea and Great Britain is doing everything possible to meet the views of the United States. Doubtless this is partly owing to the support MT. Fosters idea received from Russia and Canada. Sir Wilfred Lau- rier and MT. Davies have all along fla Yored conciliatory attitude toward the proposals of the United States. The conference will meet in the third or fourth week in October. the exact date being left to be determined by the arrival of the British experts from the sealing grounds Great Britain will be repre- scented by Sir Julian Pauncefote, the ann bassador, and Prof. Darcy Thompson, the United States will probably be rep
 
 the Japanese minister at Washington, and Russia by commission headed by Dr. Martens, professor of international law at the University of St. Petersburg, who was delegated by Russia to hold the pour parleur with Mir. Foster Canada will be represented by Sir Wilfred Lau- riei and MT. Davies.
 The conference will discuss the whole question as raised by the United States; will draft a plan of protection for the seals with details of the same, and will decide all open claims. Its report Will be ad referendum, but Russia and Japan are entirely favorable to the pretensiohs of the United States and as Great Britain is indifferent so long as Canada is sat isfed the conference may be said to be a diplomatic triumph for the Unit d States and a personal triumph for Mir. Foster. Unless it results in divided report which is not expected, the V ernments concerned will embody the statement in a permanent agreement in the form of convention or meAora ndum so it can be executed in the season of 1898.
 A Spanish diplomatist who is in close touch with Senor Canovas del Castillo, the Spanish premier, informs the corre- SD ondent of the Associated Press that it is useless to longer disguise the fact that the Spanish ministry IS in very ght place.
 He says: "We can keep up the wal in Cuba only so long as our funds last and the time when they will fail is almost in sight. When it comes we must give up the struggle. Now we are too proeu a race to do SO a any ones bidding, but we can do so by pleading force "majure" In a war with the Linked States. Such re- suit naturally would b. very unp- -easant to us, but in order to prevent reVoiu- tion in Spain and th5 oVsrthrow of the moflaicny war is the only way out.
 "The premier knows fl on President Me- Kiuley direct that the president P I. onal- ly does not want war, and Wishes 10 save Us from the cost and bloodsned, but his cabinet oniy partly share his views, while the senate the house of epreseutativeS, the American press and the people of the United States favor settlement wlth pls guns.
 President Mckinley, however. while at first for peace, has declared himself as not shrinking from war if peace measures fail This is his position and naturally lends strength to ths independent course which Gen. Woodford will pursue. His will be at the outset to at tempt to secure for Cuba peaceful means of Cuban independence. He is destined to be defeated in his proposal, the moment it is made, for Spain would indefinitely prefer war Without the en- of other nations to any sur render on the Cuban question. This IS thef facts and the premier sees no way of remaining impasSive in the present state of Spanish politics. He will court war the moment the United States becomes in it's demands. The way of great emotion and patriotism such as war would create in Spain would naturally sink all threatening domestic questions and disturbances. The Carlists. rspubli- cans and all others would unite for the nation as they could be united by nothing else and when defeated, if Spain should be defeated, Cuba could be surrendered without imperilling all present political and monarchial institutions"
 The engineers dispute has apparently settled down to a prolonged struggle. Both masters and men are unyieiding. The formers position has been strength- ened by the fact that the Northampton Cycle employers have joined the Emp'oy- CTS Federation and issued lockout mo- tices to 25 per cent. of their employees. The engineers have responded by calling out the other 75 per cent. The masters held a meeting on Wednesday ard declared they were mere than ever delerfnlned to resist the action of the engineers. It Is also announced, on the contrary, by trade, union statements, not signed, that member of the Employers Federation in the vicinity of London had yielded to thel ldernand for an eight hour day
 The Spectator, in a gloomy article, en- titled "AggreSsi ms of American Wealth." refers to the retirement of President An drews from Brown university and Prof Benlis, from Chicago university, saying:
 We can scarcely escape the conclu- sion that conspiracy exists among the various trusts in America to interfere with the freedom of teaching in the