The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-08
PREPARING FOR ANYTHING THAT MAY HAPpE N

~ 8 H. W. -ss
n yards; then It Is q request for new artiiler
II regiments and for an increase of the navy
II again ii Is an order to get all the rl'
II single turreted monitors ready for hErlc
N defense. Today board was appointed 4
H organize the naval auxiliary service, whicl
II means the securing Of ships for trlnslcfta
II ton OF troops And at the end OF all thi
Il Secretary Long says, semi officially, tn,
H United states is energetically preparing fol
II anything that may happen"
H II the government at Madrid defies the
United States and goes to war, 1t IS be-
lieved by men whose military and naval
experience entities their opinions 10 weight
that the war will be short one At The
outset it is not likely to be onc-sld9d, 10y
any manner of means New YofK OF some
\ other Atlantic seaport may suffsr. But 1t
\ is believed one vigorous onslaught upon
| our navy or upon one of our coast ci''cs
would mark the limits of SPANS agrees
siGns.
The last few days have shown how :,usi-
| tive SPANS securities are to the faintest
| talk of war. Let war come and her londs
would go Down and down, and all her
creditors would at once begin t. clamcr for
settlement In two weeks SPANS navy
on this side the water would be without
coal. In a month the treasury al Maerid
would be empty In sixty days or Tess
peace would be declared ana the result
OF the war would be loss of cuba 10 Spain
forever and a big indemnity 10 pay 10 the
victorious American nation
Indeed 1t Is limited in di 81 1matic circles,
where Spains dreadful straits are well UNI
derstood. that It is the policy Of the
statesmen at Madrid to permit war TO come
on in the hope that it will prove the thuL-
derbclt which will clear their National sky.
1t will reunite their people Il viii popu-
larize the monarchy and the IL gnng
house, If only 1t can be stopped without
undue humiliation and loss.
The plan of some of the leaders Of the
Madrid government, accor ling 10 trust
worthy advices received here, is 20 cnsoge
in n war to save the Natiolal pride sid TO
avert the red hand of revolution, and when
honor has been sufficiently satisfied by
short campaign to throw thor future upon
the mercy of the United States
As for the creditors who hold Spain in
their grip, they would infinitely rIefer to
finance new loan to pay of the war In
demnity of the United States than TO t>ce
possible revolution with :epldiaton.
War has not yet come, however, and It
may never come. Spanish statesmen are
famous for their temporiziag. They may
yet find the way to accede to ell the de-
mands of the United States as to the Maiae
incident and afterward 10 admit the inttr-
vention which it is President Mciiln. ey's |
purpose to offer. Adroit as they are with |
excuses and expedients, ii is not impossil lie |
they shall be able to bow the knee still |
further to this country whle>at the same |
time deceving their public into the belief |
that they have maintained a bold frort be-
fore the odious Yankees This is The game
they have been playing for six months ucw,
and in any other nation 1t would appear to |
be impossible to carry 1t further. But al
most any policy that depends upoa the .s-
norance OF the people of Spain IS within |
the realm of the probable.