The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-11
MIR. WOodf0rd'S Note Makes No De-
mand on Spain.
NOT BELLIGERENT IN ITS TENOR
NEW MINISTER'S INSTRUCTIONS
ARE SIMPLY AN ENTERING
WEDGE FOR FUTURE CORRES-
PONDENCE-THE PRESIDENT
HAS OUTLINED HIS POLICY,
BUT MAY NOT MAKE IT KNOWN
UNTIL DECEMBER.

Washington. Sept. f0.-AIiniste- Wood
ford will present 70 The Spanish govern
nent next Tuesday his credentials and
his mote from this government The
text OF the latter document is awaited
with unusual interest, iu view of the
fact that it is expected To outline the pol
icy o. this administration in regard TO
Cuba. Considerable anxiety is already
expressed in commercial and financial
circieS because ''of reports to the effect
that the instructions are of !. nature to
produce Il rupture between this country
and.Spnin.
Authentic information rs TO the cnar,
ac'cr OF the note makes it evident that no
crisis is TO ne expected ut present, what
ever may happen in the future The
tenor of Mr.. WOodford's instructions is
not in the least h.lligerent In fact.
nothing could he more friendly. The or
binary bounds OF diplomatic suavity and
good will are exceeded in the cordial
terms addressed to Spain. it is quite
evident that the President does not in
tend that Spain shall find in the Ian
guagc OF tue note any OCCASION for in
alfront.
Not only this, but ut this time the adj
ministration does not make any demand
whatever upon Spain. 1t is true that
the universal sentiment Of sympathy IN
this country with Cuba may be 'nti.
mated, but The" President does not make
this feeling the basis for any definite prom
ositi0us Ii the letter can be summed M
in one wcrd it would he described hy
saying that it is an entering wedge for
future correspondence. Whether Spain
will continue the espondence is
another question 1t is quite likely that
in the present disturbed condition of
Spanish ;ff Iirs Mr.. Woodfo,d's note will
not receive prompt attention. There
will be no occasion for IL hasiy reply, ard
until Span has had ample opportunity
to take some cogniZance of the commu-
nication the President cannot with pro-
prietS act. Even when Spain answers
some time will he occupied in framing
the communication that will mark the
next step, 50 that no crisis is possible
for Two or three months mt least
The situation, III n nutshell is that
there is nothing in Minister Woodford's
instructions to precipitate any t.ouble
ut this time. Indeed nothing of trans.
ccndent importance is likely to happen
until the President sends his message to
Congress on the first Monday of next
DecenIher. At that time, in dealing with
foreign matters, he will be compelled to
outline his policy in unmistakablc
terms, aud the course which Spain may
have taken in the meantime will have to
he discussed. 1t is known that the de
sire of the President is to secure autou.
omy for Cuba He believes that the is.
land can sustain to Spain the relations
which Cann.ia holds to Treat Britain.and
this is the solution of the problem which
he Will eventually submit to the Span sh
government. Whether that plan will
,fnt 10
question. The general opinion is that
she will not brook any suggestion at all
from this government us to her policy in
regard to Cuba. If she takes that stand,
the responsibility will then be upon the
President to desist from all further effort
or else pursue his suggestion to it's logi
cal conclusion. But all.this is II matter
of the distant future
1t is quite possible that some inkling
of the Administrations policy may cone
out TIN cugh the indirect medium of the
speech which secretary Sherman hopes
to deliver in the Ohio campaign. 1t is
not yet certain that he will make his
proposed address lie is very anxious
to figure in the Ohio campaign, hut q
question of the propricty of his partici-
patton has been raised, and when the
President returnsssto morrow this matter
Will be considered. It may come up mt
the Cabinet meeting next Tuesday If
he rs alo wed to go, the advisablity of
referring to the Cuban situation is
nnothtr grave problem. In his position
as Secretary of State any utterance
which he may make will be accepted ms
authoritative in respect to the admins
tration's policy and whether il Is wise to
outline this policy at this time is the qres
tion which the President will also take
under grave consideration.