The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-29
PLENTY OF LIMOGES HERE
MCKINLEY CRITICISED FOR HIS
TOO CONSERVATIVE POLICY.
HAS CEASED TO Be A JOKING MATTER
The Naval Reserves to be Called Into Active
Serice..No Spies Arrested in Will
mington. Ohio Wilson Positively
nocl;roc IN en-
Declines to Go.

UeClin6S 10 Oos
Yesterday was. all over this great
country. a day of intense anxiety ana
apprehension. To-day, no DOUBT WI
he like unto it--only more so.
"Can war be preventedE VINO VIII
strike the first blow? How long VIII 1t
lastp Who will have to go:' THESE
and a thousand other similar quesuohS
neople asked one another on the streets
The air is electric with war laiN'
Whenever two persons stop on the sIeel
tn talk YOU may be sure they are talking
about the probability OF CONNECT VITA
Snain. 1t is the only topic of CONVERSE
tion on the streets, i'll the stores, at the
hotels or in the departments.
This has been the case, though, ever
since the Maine disaster six weeks
ago. But then people joked about hosui-
titles. now they talk seriously.
Last week the question here as else
where was: ''Will there be war; Yes
terday and Sunday it was: Can war pc
ayerted?' As matters looked last nlgnt
taking the dispatches to be true-it
cannot.
The danger of the hour lies in this,
that Spain is proud. poor, ignorant,
brave. She fought Napoleon, and that
spirit has not died. Her ignorance VIII
prevent her acting with prudence. her
poverty viii inspire desperation. Her
yaIor will not shrink from war.
So. while hoping for peace and pre-
paring for war. the closest observers
fear that the principal danger will come
from Spain. This has been so from the
outset. If we could know what Spain
would really accept. how far she would
go in granting independence to Cuba,
there might be ground for diplomatic &C
ton. Out of this trouble, as was the
case with Germany and Austria after
Sadowa. there might be a better feeling
between the United States and Spain
than has been known since the loss OF
Mexico and the Floridas.
But in the darkness which clouds the
Spanish counsels lies the peril. Ane
what. after all, will happen?
The unexpected.
Tt ever does.
These are differences drawn by well
informed and conservative men from the
dispatches that have been coming in thu
past few days. OF course any one ma!
draw his own inferences from them, bu
the above seem to embody the one com
mon point in the opinion of all those K
whom / have talked.
= p
All sorts of wild rumors were afioa1
on the streets yesterday. Popular inter
est was at white heat and all ears were
turned toward Washington. ready to be
lieve anything they heard. Early il
the morning the report started that the
Fern had been fired on and sunk by ;
Spanish gunboat and the cry of the wal
party "now or never" went up.
Notwithstanding the fact that tllis
report was, on it's face, a canard TIL,
jingoes kept it travelling until another
came to take its place. This was tina
the American feet had been ordered Il
meet the Spanish fotilla and either de
stroy or turn it back.
Though this was also quickly deniet
everybody said it ought to be true. Th,
approach of the torpedo boats is regard
ed here, both by military men and b.
private citizens as an unfriendly act, in
asmuch as they cannot possibly b
used against the insurgents. and thei
presence can only be construed as an III
tention OH the part of the Spanish gov
eminent TO resist whatever may be don
by this government concerning Cuba.
1lleA s1llS VI LWNlAG HltIt bDdt
which is on its way to Puerto Rico is
most dangerous menace to our fleet a
Tortugas. While none is of more tina
800 tons capacity, any one of them
capable of destroying a monstrous bal
tleship like the Massachusetts or the II
wa in the same way and with the sam
completeness that the Maine was dc
stroyed. They make them twenty t
twenty-five knots an hour, while th
battleships make only sixteen knot
when going at full speed, and one o
these torpedo boats could sail aroun
and strike the leviathan on any quartz
just as wasp could sting an OK. The
cannot work in rough water, but the Sc
around Key West and Dry TOrtugas
comparatively smooth. The ships ar
anchored six miles from land. and ther
are no protected iharbors in which the
could take refuge. OF course it woul
be possible for a battleship to destro
torpedo boat with it's guns. but
would have to fire very rapidly and M
curately, and these little things do thei
work IN the night.
This is why people who have hoe
standing by the administration and con
mending it for the conservative co,,rs
it has taken in this dispute. yesterda
suddenly changed over. when tbn
found the report in regard to the turr
ing back of the fiotilla untrue. The
when his mandy -pamby, non-committe
message came they began to critics
Mckinley as vigorously as they hay
heretofore defended him.
1t was charged that he was weak an
vacillating-a coward was the term 1lse
by some-that he was willing to bart,
the national honor for the approval ,
Wall street, and by Republicans it We
alleged that he was wrecking the part
+ Il y
The Army and Navy journal. II
highest authority ON military subject
was quoted with approval and CONNIE
dation concerning the Spanish squadro
These vessels should not be suf-
fefed to cross the Atlantic. The
proposition is in itself casls belIi
and should be treated as such.
We have a perfect right to
strengthen our coast defenses; to