The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-20
POLO HAS PACKED UP.
Spanish Minister Is All Ready to
Leave.

is calmly awa1t1ngj notification that the
President has affixed his signature to the
Cuban resolution, at which time the
minister will take his leave. He had ex-
pected that this would come today and
every arrangement had been. made with
that in view. Now that the.signing is
deferred until tomorrow. it is probable
that the minister and his staff will de-
part before another "a hours pass by.
He will not move precipitarely, he viewer.
as the transfer of the klegation archives
and effects to the French embassy must
first be accomplished and moreover
there Is felt to be no disposition on the
part of the authorities here to unduly
hasten the movements of the minister.
Whether the state department will send
Senior Polo his passports or he will ask
for them, is felt to be an immaterial de-
tail. He intends to go without reference
to these formallties and there is every rea-
son to believe the state department. will
afford him the protection of passports
and other further attention usual in the
enforced departure of minister on the
Lreaking out of war. The entire staff
of the delegation will accompany the
minister.
Theirasexaet movements after leaving
Washington are not made known, except
that they will return to Spain at the
earliest possible moment. 1t would be
/ no surprise II the minister and his staff
I went by way of Canada instead of New
York. taking one Of the Atlantic liners
from Halifax.
r. L. u,
ire Of great activity throughout the day.
The minister was up practically all last
night, retiring shortly before daylight
this morning after having notified his
govern ment of the final passage of the
Cuban resolution. He was again at
his desk by a. m communicating with
his government and awaiting the next
and final move in making the resolution
effective. Although of a sturdy physi-
que. the Spanish minister showed signs
OF the intense strain and anxiety put
upon him during the last few days. He
saw number of friends, mainly of the
diplomatic corps and to them he expressed
the view that all hope of peaceful set
Element appeared to be at an end and that
Spain now left with the United States
the responsibility of war.
Being convinced that all hope of peace
was over, the minister's personal desires
were that the remaining formalities
might be dispatched as speedily as posi-.
Bile. He was rather surprised late in the
day when told that the Presidents sign
ing of the resolution would be deferred
until tomorrow.
Early this morning the large metal
sign bearing the words coffee of the
Spanish legation" was wrenohed from
its place on the gate leading TO the le-
gation and carried off by vandals. The
minister made no complaint to the state
department or the police as he has sought
to minimize the petty depredations
against the legation, although this was
| the most fragrant one committed.
| The various foreign embassies and Ie-
cations were intensely active tonight in
the expectation that hostilities were near
at hand. The several foreign officers
were fully advised of the passage of the
resolutions and were kept posted as to
the prospects of the Presidents sigma
| ture. IN
Some of the am bassadors and ministers
called at the state department to learn
whether the President would sign the
resolution. They were informed by Judge
Day that the President intended to sign
| them. This in turn was communicated
to the foreign offices. The representa-
| tives of the powers of Europe held no
meeting during the day nor Is any meet
| ing at present in prospect. Those who
have been most hopeful of bringing
| about European coalition now concede
that such movement is imI ossible.
| One of the best posted members Of the
diplomatic corps stated tonight that it
was now too late for mediation or inter.
vention, even If the powers could he
brought together. 1t was recognized on
all hands, he said, that the United States
and Spain had chosen q recourse to war.
1t was a decision which sovereign ma.
tions had a right to make, lamentable as
| it might be, and the only course now
open for other nations was to determine
| their attitude of neutrality between the
two belligerents. Already it is said Great
Britain has been taking steps not only te
maintain passive neutrality, but to en-.
| force it with arms if necessary.
Two regiments of British soldiers are
now in the British West Indies and these
| are about to be augmented by another
regiment enroute from Halifax. They
are concentrated in the belief that the
| West Indies will be centre of conflict
and that the stress of war may lead one
or the other belligerents to occupy neu-
trail British territory. If that occurs a
| British force will see that the territory
| is vacated and that British soil is not
| used as a base of operations for hostili
| ties by either party to the conflict. Sc
far as it is known the French government
will observe the same neutrality. It'll
VCsU, 4uuldu pUsbcSslOuS dT6 COQSlu6fADls
| and it has several ships in those wat
ers. Germany and other powers are ex
pected TO take the same neutral attitude
| In connection with the cable report
that the Dreihund has sought to effect g
plebiscite in; Cuba, it was stated at one
of the embassies that this branch of ne
| gotiations occurred last week and EN-.
braced some circumstances not made
known in the cabled dispatches.
| About the middle of last week one of
the embassies hereswas informed by its
foreign office that its ambassador at Ma
drid advised them that Minister Wood
ford had suggested in tentative way
a plebiscate as possible solution to the
Cuban problem. This ambassador also
advised his foreign office that the sugges
ton did not meet with favor and had not
been followed up. Since then there has
teen no talk of a plebiscite SO far as is
known here.
POWERS LATEST PLAN.
| London, April 2O.-The Rome CORE
spondent of the Daily Mailssays:
Italia, the organ of the foreign office
published tonight the following note
1.-The powers are on the eve of taking 6
new STEP namely. requesting the Unit
ad States and Snain in tho avapt of6u n,