The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-04-20

lutions passed by congress and demand a
compliance Herewith. So far could be
learned there will not be a meeting of the
cabinet before the president signs the two
documents which it is believed unquestion-
ably will precpitate war. 1t is likely that
the president and Assistant Secretary Day
will again go over the message which IS to
be sent to Madrid and make any changes
which may be thought desirable. 1t proba-
bly, will not be made public here until notice
is received that it is in the hands of the
Spanish government, diplomatic etiquette
requiring this.
The Cuban resolution passed by congress
arrived at the White House at lis O. oclock
yesterday, little over an hour having been
consumed in the formalities of securing the
signatures of Speaker Reed and Vice Pres
ident Hobart to the resolution in open ses-
sion and It's delivery at the White House by
Representative Hager, of Iowa, chairman
of the committee on enrolled bills, and Rep
resentative Overstreet. of Indiana.
1t was expected that the resolution would
be signed Immediately it reached the
president and this was Mr.. McKineys in
clination but for certain state reasons it
was deemed advisable that the resolution
and the ultimatum to Spain should be
signed simultaneously and time was needed
to draft the ultimatum in diplomatic form.
The fact that the resolution was not i'm
mediately signed gave rise to
FEW DISQUIETING REPORTS
but 1t soon appeared from statements of
cabinet officers that the president had not
the slightest int ention of Withholding his
signature and that the delay in attaching
it was accounted for solely by his desire
to have a full and complete plan of op-
erations for the government of the ex-
ecutive in the immediate future before tax
ing the final and important step of turn
ing the joint resolution into statute. Just
what this plan shall be was the occasion
for the two cabinet meetings yesterday.
The first session in anticipation Of the re-
ception of the resolution, was devoted
largely to questions of finance and military
policy, as we'll as to the framing of the
ultimatum itself. So far as can be gath
cred the important point at issue in regard
to the ultimatum was the question Of time
to be allowed for response on the part of
Spain.
NO POSSIBLE HOPE OF PEACE
The steady progress of military and naval
preparations indicated the conviction on
the part of the administration that a peace
full solution of existing difficulties is not
the immediate future the only prediction
that can be made is one based prece-
dents. According to these Minister Wood
ford will notify the Spanish government of
the action of the government of the United
states and should the Spanish answer be
unsatisfactory, is expected, the next step
In order will be for him to ask for his
passports and leave Madrid That would
be followed instantly by the withdrawal
from Washington of Senior Polo, the Span
ish minister At this point it can be said
that the state department officials are con-
fdent that the Spanish government will so
shape every phase of the negotiations as to
oblige us to take the initiative at every
point. After the withdrawal of the min
listers and assuming Spain does not back
down.
WILL FOLLOW ACTUAL WAR.
but whether or not the first overt act will
be preceded by formal declaration Of war
which would insure the immediate natural
tzation of the powers, or whether the North
Atlantic squadron will make it's appearance
off Havana as a beginning cannot yet be