The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-28
UNITED STATES AND SPAIN
PRESIDENT DISCUSSES SITUATION
 WITH CABINET MEMBERS.


 It is Reported That Negotiations for
 Peace Show Steady Progress-Good
 Authority for Saying That Spain's Pres
 ent Wish is to Secure Cessation of Hos-
 tilitjes in Cuba Rather Than Engage in q
 War With United States.
 Washington, March 27.-The presi- dent saw number of the members of the cabinet at the white house to-day. They dropped in one by one until those present included Secretaries Bliss, AL ger, Gage and Attorney General Griggs. With them also was Assistant Secretary Day of the state department, who presumably had some dispatches to show the president. The gathering was not a special cabinet meeting in the sense in which that term is generally used, but was simply talk between the president and his advisers, such as occurred last Sunday concerning mat ters on which he desired to consult them. The Cuban question and the re- port of the Maine court of inquiry were lOplCS ulSCuSSeu, put oO ldI dS COulu be ascertained nothing conclusive was determined, one of the members of the cabinet saying subsequently, that there was nothing new or startling in the situation. The presence of Judge Day would indicate that there were adyices from Minister Woodoford but bfurther than an acknowledgment, that com munication was in progress between the state department and the mlnis- ter, nothing could be ascertained. At the state, war and navy departments during the earlier portions of the day there was little semblance of the Sab bath. Chiefs of bureaus, clerks, mes sengers and telegraph operators were on duty. Probably not since the civil war have so many officers been on duty in the war and navy departments.
 Call from Spanish Minister.
 Secretary Long drove to the Wash ington navy yard and inspected the dy- | namite cruiser Vesuvius, which is hav- ing her guns adjusted and repaired. The vessel has been at the yard about a week, and great crowds have been there to see her. Assistant Secretary Day spent a portion of the Sabbath at the state department and there receiv- ed a call from the Spanish minister, an unusual procedure, indicating impor- 1 tant matters for consideration. The conference lasted some time, but it's nature could not be learned. Tonight l Commodore Winfield Schley, just ap- | pointed to the command of "The Fly | ing Squadron" left here for Norfolk | It is expected that tomorrow he will hoist his flag on the Brooklyn, which l is to be the flagship of the fleet. The only other vessel of the squadron now l at Hampton Roads is the Massachu- | setts. Of the remaining three the | Texas is in New York receiving her | ammunition hoists and the Columbia and the Minneapolis are at League 1 Island, where the final work prepara- ! tory to their sea service is being hur- riedly done. The two latter will be at Norfolk about the middle of the week. | Tor Maintenance of Peace.
 | The developments of the day in the Cuban situation showed steady pro- | gress in the negotiations between the government of this country and that of l Spain looking to the maintenance of peace, for the present at least There is good authority for saying that Spain's present wish is to secure a cessation of hostilities in Cuba rather | than to engage in a war with the United States, and that 1t Is more than probable that the negotiations between the United States and the Sagasta min- | istry will take that turn in the imme- diate future. The present Spanish min l istr hac O tion from the beginning and the indi- cations are strong now that 1t will avail itself of the good offices of the | United States to the fullest extent that public opinion in Spain will allow in bringing to an end the hostilities in Cuba. To what extent the United States may go in assisting Spain in her present design of securing an armistice is not yet determined but conservative element in the administration consider the manifestation of this desire on the part of Spain for even temporary peace direct result of President Me- Kinley's diplomacy and they are nat urally disposed to contend that the president should be left free for the present at least to pursue a policy U preventing war between this country and Spain, and also of bringing to a close the hostilities in Cuba. Hence there will be an effort on the part of the peacefully inclined in congress to continue to hold that body in check and to prevent inf1ammatory utter ances there until this promising diplo- matic lead may be exploited.
 Talk of an Arinistic
 On the part of the present admins tration it is said that the development of the situation will not require a great length of time and hence that there will be no extended delay A policy has been fully determined upon by the president. It is to bring the Cuban war to close This will be ac- complished by pointed intervention, if necessary, but it is considered far pref erable that the end should come as the result of the negotiations now pend- ling. It can be stated upon high author ity that there has been no abatement of the presidents intention to see that the war is terminated when it Is closed upon terms that will render the Cubans practically free people. It is not be- lieved that they would accept anything less nor that the Americans would be satisfied If we should encourage a set