The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-20
JESSIE SCHLEY AGAIN
THE MILWAUKEE, IRREPREssIBLE
APPEALS TO THE AMERICAN PRESS.
Tells How She Induced Spain to Sue
for Peace, and Begs Americans to
Be Generous to the Fallen Foe.

MILWAUKEE,. Wis. Nov. 19.-Mss Jessie
Schley, who went to Spain as delegate of
the Womens International League for
Peace, in an effort to bring the war to a
close, issued a statement to the American
press to-day in which she takes the credit
of influencing Spain to sue for peace. The
letter follows:
ITO the American Press-Until now have
not given proof to substantiate my claim
that we women, especially we American
women, made the peace between Spain and
cur country. / promised to do so after the
treaty of peace was signed, but have con-
cluded to give it out now. The facts are
these: reached Madrid as delegate of the
Women'S International League for Peace
and bearing the list of names and resolu-
tons for her Majesty, the Queen Regent of
Spain, on July %. 1 at once began visiting
and comforting with prominent officials. On
the 2Sd his Excellency, the minister of state
the Duke De Almodovar del Rios, requested
me to put in writing the matter l desired to
convey to him. 1 did so. and sent it to him
on the 18th. On that day or the following, l
judged from the newspaper report. the
Queens Cabinet (of which the duke is a
member) discussed the communication in
their meeting, and that day, the 18th, Spain
sued for peace. The next day, the 9th, l
was hurried out of Madrid, fearing riot
against me when it should become known
Spain had made overtures of peace. 1t was
feared the Carlists and Spanish jingoists
might make trouble then, and they had al
ready begun to look for me-
1.-THE afternoon of the day left 1 re-
ceived q courteous letter from the Duke De
Almodovar del Rios, minister Of state of for
eign affairs, in which he says Your letter
of yesterday has received my fullest atten-
ton with preference to much other pressing
business He praises the high motive in
spring my journey to Spain. He says
again: The generosity and energy which
prompted you to make this long journey to
a strange land for the sake of peace. united
to your intense patriotism and your love of
Spain. etc. Continuing. he says his most
ardent personal desire is to see the speedy
termination of this sad conflict and that
he desires for Cuba system of government
which is in harmony with the interests of
humanity and civilization
"Of course, peace would have come.
Spain was beaten, but she was not ready
to surrender then. She still wanted to fight
for Havana and the Philippines but,
maintain, the documents 1 submitted to the
minister of state decided her to sue for
peace just then, and in this view the Span
ish authorities will bear me out: 1t was
W.
the camelS back. Spain trusted me; she
knew l liked her noble but defenseless
country, was of her religion and detested
the war, considering 1t a disgrace to our
country. Therefore, when l told her 1t was
foolhardy to fight us longer; that we would
surely beat her; that we had more resources
of all sorts, as well as men; when / claimed
to know our people (as thought did, for
had been much among them), and said
many good ProtestantS had been influenced
to consent to assist the war by the repre-
sensations made of Spanish cruelty and the
continued fighting in Cuba (Which l also
thought should cease); that If she (Spain)
continued fighting she would lose the sym
pathy of Americans and Europeans as well,
but that if she sued for peace now she
would find how noble and generous peo-
pie we are, and not the mercenary country
erous terms now which she would not get
later. l advised her TO give US a coaling
station or two, though, strictly speaking;
begun the war in the name of humanity:
but our government might need them, and
we had been put to much expense: In
short. I wrote such a strong appeal for
peace 1 feared l might overdo 1t by my
blunt statements, using the word fool
act honorably, so you may imagine my
modification and chagrin to find we are
trying to grab all we can.
Following this letter shall have storm
Of abuse, know, from the jingoes and the
A p. AS. who have already written me
many insulting letters, but / defy one of
them to show any one who has made great
err sacrifices to maintain the honor of our
grand country. It is necessary for US to
rouse ourselves or it will be too late to show
the world what we really are and to defeat
the schemes of the miserable jingoes, who
TO draw us into further difficulties. This
is not the time for party strife or bitter re-
ligious feeling If we would save our coun-
try Democrats and Republicans must act
together Possibly it was fortunate the Re-
publicans won in the last elections for
amongst them are many honorable men who
will maintain our national honor and the
party that began the war in the name of
humanity will be able to finish it in the
name of humanity and not disgrace us by
making terms too difficult for our con-
quered foe. JESSIE A. SCHLEY."