The San Francisco call., 1898-05-13
Copyrighted 1898. by James Gordon Bennett

MADRID, May 12.-Though a Cabi- net crisis is not yet officially announced | there Is no longer shadow of a doubt l that it exists and is very acute, for l the Government is and has been for
 several days one in name only. It IS | in the position of a retiring partnership being brought into order and plans for future financial operations of the firm perfected. This will occupy a very little time longer.
 Within probably a couple of days the guidance of Spain's destinies will be
 turned over, if not entirely to fresh | hands, at any rate to a Ministry that
 will contain at least three new mem
 bers. That is to say, every one Is convinced that nothing is to be gained
 by the retirement of Senor Sagasta from the position of president of the | council, while it is of vital importance that Senors Moret, Gullon and Bermejo be replaced in the portfolios of the colo nies, foreign affairs and marine. Who will succeed them in their re-
 spective posts is still an open ques- | tion- It is, however, almost certain 1 that the Colonial Minister will be talk erl from among Senor Gamazo's imme- diate followers, with the object of con- | solidating the Liberal party and gain ing for the Government the most uni | ted support possible that 1t can obtain in the country, where there are well nigh as many political parties as Sen ators and Deputies.
 Whoever may be selected to fill the sixteen vacancies that already virtually exist, the Governments strength will | hA +nv. nI1x possibly have been had Senor Sagasta succeeded in avoiding crisis. 1n- deed, changes in the Cabinet, if not al- together of the Government, were a ne- cesSity in the present state Of span ish affairs.
 No Ministry that included Senors Moret and Gullon could possibly enter upon negotiations for peace with America on the basis of the cession of Cuba and Porto Rico, which, l have the best authority for saying, the new Cabinet will do immediately after 1t IS formed. The importance, therefore, to America of the political situation here is manifest and no secret.
 Senor Gullon was one of the Stumb- ling blocks in the way or peaceful so- luton of the question at issue between America and Spain even before war was declared His removal became inn perative from the moment the Manila
 
 a warlike policy any further meant the ruin of Spain.
 As man closely identified with the scheme of an autonomist Cabinet Senor Moret could not possibly retain office after the failure of his scheme -' to secure that peace which he claimed 1t would be the only means of obtaining. It will be a long time before his ceuntrymen forgive his phrase, Autonomy means peace" His retirement. therefore. IS also a necessity.
 Admiral Bermejo is held too much responsible in the public mind for his lack of foresight which led to the de- feat at Manila for his retention in re- modelled Cabinet to be even consldereu
 These three changes, therefore, are logically certain to be made can also state that it is actually determined to make them. My authority Is one or the most prominent statesmen at the pres ent iuncture. In the course or con- versation with him yesterday in which he gave me lucid exposition or the present situation, he said: Tt would no matter from which party 1t is drawn. must devote its energies to re- establishing peaceful relations with the United States. War cannot be pro- longed Even should Spain win naval engagement in Antillian waters, it 
 perate by wounding the American amour propre, while should she lose 1t the terms the United States would ask. as the price of concluding peace would be only more severe.
 This all parties-no matter of what political color-are agreed upon. The only thine therefore, left for Spain to do is to try to secure peace upon the most favorable terms possible now. AS every declaration of President McKin- ley has been dictated with the avowed object of securing the independence of sible men here are convinced that to fight any longer would be folly. while peace might be secured and the Philip pines retained by giving up the Span ish possessions in the Antilles
 T may add that 1t is pretty gener- ally known that Senor Moret advised this step as long ago as April 20, upon the very eve of the virtual declaration of war, when Spain broke off diplo- matic relations with the United States. Much progress has been made since then in realization of the grave danger Spain is in. At that time 1t Is probable that not a single member of Sagasta' s Cabinet. with the exception of Senor Moret himself, would have even dis cussed such a solution of the problem. Now, and only three weeks later, the Ministry Is said, to be looking upon 1t as the only satisfactory one possible.
 ''Of course" my informant continued, 'tsuch a step necessitated the removal of Senor Moret. This will be done when the crisis is officially made public. With his disappearance the Government nnds itself in a position to secure peace un- embarrassed by former pledges ana declarations.
 'At the same time the responsibility for satisfactorily settling the difficulty naturally devolves upon the Liberals. All parties, therefore, are at once con sidering that Sagasta be retained at the head of the remodeled Cabinet
 This means, to put it briefly that Admiral Bermejo and Senor Gullon are to resign their portfolios when the Min istry is reconstructed. and the Govern ment will try to secure peace by every means in its power, even should 1t call for giving up Porto Rico and Cuba, so long as the Philippines are retained by Spain."
 This decision of the Government 1 seems confirmed by the unaccountable delay in the meeting of the fleets on l To v1tf f1ar