The herald., 1898-03-30

tAe1r onal reply may be reasonably ex-
nootoA within the next few days. Should
$3.50 1smaads be rejected, there is the
ha9Asst authority sc- stating that the
sesstdsat would not hesitate q moment as
b hia future oourse, but would Immediate
y ~ ehs whole record before congress and
b guided by It's Instructions.
A 9TEr TOWARD PEACE
A. = preliminary step toward peace. 1t
has been proposed to Spain. though this
hast proposition has hot taken the shape Of
q demand as yet, at least. that the Span
,sh government withdrew Its troops from
the island and that the Cubans be given
their independence on a basis OF indemnity
that would be regarded as just in amount
by the United States and other nations OF
tho world, und fair to both contending par
ties.
The question of an armistice has not been
agreed to by either this country or Spain'
though there is no doubt that Spain sug-
gested an arInis:ice. What terms OF peace
will be acceptable to the president cannot
be stated, but 1t is asserted that no propo-
aition will be. considered that does not IN
volve the practical, If not the actual, IN
dependence of the Cubans. Under these
circumstances, the members of the admin
istration think it only fair to the president
that the people should wait patiently for
the result OF the pending negotiations,
since there is no more loyal American than
the president, nor one who will hesitate
less when the hour for action arrives.
MEDIATION PROPOSED
There is little doubt that the French gov
ernment is ready to tender it's good offices
as mediator between the United States
and Spain whenever an intimation is con-
veyed by this country that such offices
would be acceptable. Without such in
timation 1t is doubtful whether France
will take the initiative. In diplomatic cir
cles 1t Is pointed out that the interests Of
Trance, both material and sentimental,
favor an avoidance of war. One material
reason is that France is preparing for an
International exposition, when the worlds
tide of travel will be turned toward the
French capital. 1t is said that war at such
. time would be seriously prejudicial to
this great project. Another material in
terest affecting France Is that her citizens
own many Spanish securities. so that any
decline resulting from war would fall large
ly on French capitalists. While these are
important considerations urging France to
avert hostilities, yet they are not, of course,
such as could be advanced as the actual
grounds for tender of good offices. Such
movement would be prompted solely on
sentimental grounds, namely, on the friend
ship of France for both parties engaged in
this controversy.
WAR PREPARATIONS
The army and navy departments con-
Gnue to show many evidences of activity,
but there is not the extreme energy of
preparation evident last week.
The navy department made no further
purchases of foreign ships today, although
the naval attaches abroad continue to
make inspection Of ships at several large
yards.
SICARD'S LEAVE
The formal report of the medical board of
officers Of the North Atlantic squadron
that sat on Admiral Sicard's case shows
that he was suffering from what is tech
nically known as chronic malaria. It was
upon the report of this board that the ad-
miral was relieved Of his command and
granted six months leave of absence.
THE COLORED TROOPS
At the wan department the most import
ant development of the day was the an
nouncement that the Twenty-fifth regi-
ment Of infantry, now stationed in Mon
tana. would be transferred to Dry Tor