The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-08-09
slow in Coming.

Washington, Aug. s.-Spain's answer
to the demands of the United States is
now on the way to Washington. but it
is coming with slowness almost pain
full in view of the earnest desire to
know whether the acceptance is COM
plete or qualified. The reply had not
reached here during the early hours
Of the day. The French ambassador
and staff awaited it until latehour
Sunday night and then concluded that
it would be here Monday. There are
no less than five translations, four of
them cipher, in the transmission be-
tween Madrid and Washington. After
the Spanish cabinet meeting Sunday
night, the response was reduced to the
Spanish cipher and then sent to tho
Spanish ambassador at Paris, Senior
Leon y Castillo. by whom it was to be
deciphered, and translated into
French, after which Senior CastillS
would deliver it to the French foreign
Office, to be reduced to the French
cipher, for transmission to he French
ambassador here. These moves, in
cluding work on the cipher code, calls
by Castillo, by the foreign office and
time requiredfor cabling, will take, it
is calculated. some eight or ten hours
Under the circumstances, the impress
sion prevailed in all official quarters
up to midday that the response would
not be placed in the hands of the presi-
dent until quite late in the day at best.
"A Document of Considerable Length.
The impression is growing in Off
cial quarters that the Spanish answer,
while in the nature of concession of
the American demand, is not brief
and simple acceptance, without reser-
walton or condition. There is no direct
official advice ON this point, but all
:. the press advices from Madrid indicate
that the response is document of con-
siderable length, prepared with Ia
borious care, and that it has several
features which may not appear in the
conditions presented by the United
States. Whether an acceptance of this
character will be regarded by the au-
thorities here as sufficiently sponsive
to the American demands is a matter
exciting much conjecture. In some
quarters it is being urged that so long
as Spain accepts the essential principle
required by the United States the dis
position here will be to deal with the
defeated enemy in generous spirit on
minoridetails. 1t is probable that this
will be the view presented by the
French ambassador in case the Spanish
reply is not simple. categorical ac-
ceptance of the American terms On
the other hand, it is believed that re-
sponse which opens up diplomatic CON
troversy and gives the conditions a
much broader scope than as originally
framed at Washington, may not meet
with approval here. For instance, the
Madrid advices seem to imply that the
answer is based on an immediate cessa-
tion of hostilities, but the view among
the officials here is that hostilities will
not cease ON the submission of a condi-
tional response, but that they will pro-
gress steadily until the American con-
ditions progress entirely beyond the
stage of possible diplomatic complica-
ton over details. There is a strong
disposition in some influential quarters
to lave hostilities continue until the
actual evacuation of Havana and Puerto
Rico begins by the embarkation of
Spanish troops. i is probable that the
Spanish reply will be in the hands of
the government in time for consid-
Grafton at the regular cabinet meeting,
when the suf1iciency or insutficiency of
the response can be determined.