The evening times., 1898-07-15
GENERAL HARRIsoN,s VIEWS.
He 1. Enthusiastic over the victory
at Santiago and Hopes for Peace.

| He In Enthusiastic Over the yictory
at Santiago and Hopes for Peace.
New York, July 15.-Ex-President Har
rison is at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. wher,
| he said to a reporter for the Tribune: 'l
find it difficult to give expression ade
quately to the pleasure which 1 feel a
the surrender of Santiago. 1t is fitting
climax to the splendid gallantry oul
troops have displayed since they placed
their feet upon Cuban soil. The bravery
they have consistently shown is almost
indispensable. They fought with dash
and persistency worthy Of veterans. The
heroic patriotism they displayed in theiI
splendid series Of fights must be a source
Of great gratifcation to every American
citizen. -
THE fortitude the soldiers have display
ed cannot be praised too highly. Land
fighting is different from sea fighting.
Not that wish to detract from the valor
and skill of our sailors. At sea after a
battle the ship Is washed down and the
sailors don their white natty uniforms,
and the officers go down to the cabin to
well-appointed tables. On land the SOL
diers lie in trenches. exposed to all sorts
OF climatic changes. often drenched to
the skin. and very often compelled to wait
long time for something to eat. The SOL
dier is exposed to. every danger that eli
mate and adventitious SURROUNDINGS pre-
sent 1t is wonderful how well our SOL
diers have done in the tropics This is the
nrst time that the American army has
operated In the tropics in such large num-
pers. and they have so far more than ex-
Cee0eQ the antfcina ffon nf he{r
men.
whether the fall Of Santiago will
lead to peace proposals on the part of
spain, Is a difficult matter to conjecture
upon at this moment. Spain Is not a
country you can reason with, except by
force. Now. If 1t were any other coun-
try than Spain with which we were at
war. would have no hesitation in think
ing that an event such as has hap
pened. In the face of the previous disas-
ters. would mean the cessation of hostil-
tiles. Another thing one has to consider
In discussing the probability of peace
Is the peculiar position Spain is In. From
the beginning her government had to
make the choice between foreign or civil
war. That was the only alternative left
to her, and she chose foreign war The
question of peace now turns mainly up
on the situation In Spanish politics. I'M
poverished and disheartened by the re-
verses they have sustained, i think that
If the Spanish ministry could depend up
on the army at home to put down any
insurrection which might arise they
would at once sue for peace.
by continuing the war Spain is only
inviting further disaster. Her navy has
been destroyed She Is no longer a naval
power. Nothing she has left could even
cope with detachment of our fleet. Ca
mara would be wiped out by a small
squadron Of our ships as completely as
was Cervera. Without ships to defend
her home ports are open to capture or de-
struction by our navy. In the face of
these conditions II Is difficult to see what
other course can be taken by Spain than
to ask for peace.
''In any question the subsection of Cuba
Is simply a question of time. While fur
ther resistance may be made. 1t is more
apparent than ever before that there can
be but one issue of the war. Moreover
the successive great losses Spain has suf-
fered tend to make the home situation
easier for the Spanish government. These
losses make the people over there real
ize the utter hopelessness OF the strug-
gle. and will open their eyes to the fact
that the longer the war Is protracted
the greater will be their humiliation
Gen. Harrison declined to give an opin-
ion as to the policy the Government
should adopt in the matter of retaining
ths Philippines and other conquered
Spanish possessions. 1t would be invid-
ious. he said, for him to discuss any sub
ject which would become part Of the
peace negotiations. 4