Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-25
SPANIARDS PREFER ANNEXATION
TO INDEPENDENCE.
LIVES AND PROPERTY SAFER
PEOPLE BEING PREPARED FOR LOSS
OF CUBA AND PORTO RICO.
Spanish Government Ii Keeping Close
Watch On the Caflists-Madrid
Correspondents Dfaer Rad
ically as to the PrOs-
poets for Peace.

LONDON, July Emo news has been re-
| ceived in London as to any special disor-
| ders in Spain. A dispatch from Madrid
says that the cabinet Sunday discussed the
question of censorship and decided to con-
| tinue to enforce the regulations. The lead
ing papers threaten to cease publication
| unless the censorship is removed, but it is
doubtful that they will carry the threat
into execution.
1.-The press is preparing all classes for
the loss Of Cuba and Porto Rico and for
developments at Manila. Ell Impartial. re-
flecting a widespread opinion, advocates
direct negotiations for peace with the Unit
ed States, and admits that American an
nexation of Cuba is preferable to Cuban
independence, if Spain must lose the colony,
since the lives and financial interests of
Spaniards would be much safer under
America
Eel Impartial and Ell Heraldo describe
the military precautions taken at Madrid
against any possible disturbance.
Great distress continues among the
| working classes at Barcelona and Malaga;
and it is said that not vessel is to be seen
either at Ca6iz or Barcelona
Don Carlos, the Spanish pretender. ac-
cording to a dispatch from Brussels to
the Daily Mail, has hurriedly started for
Switzerland.
The MADRID correspondent of the Daily
Mail says:
"The government is closely watching the
Cariists throughout the country. Carlist
clubs have been requested to furnish COM
p!cte lists of members with addresses, and
many will probably close rather than COM
ply.
Il have reason to know that. when the
time Genes, the outbreak will be general.
but Don Carlos will not give the signal
until peace is concluded or until 1t is known
that the peace conditions will be such as
to provoke the people to indignation.
Marquis de Cerallbo, the representative
of Don Carlos here has gone to Brussels
to confer with his chief"
The Gibraltar correspondent of the Daily
News, telegraphing Sunday, says:
According to ministerial admissions,
peace is further Off than it was last week.
The great difficulty is the loss of the Gu
ban cable. Senior Gamazo, the minister Of
public instruction and public works, IS
much disappointed, and threatens to re-
sign.
"The administrative haste and hustle in
Spain about port defenses are prodigious.
but who can think that all this means
business after all that has happened? The
heavy French guns supplied from the Saint
Chamond works have been lying for the
last six weeks in the drill ground at Cara
banch. They are being tested and will be
sent to replace the brass and other old
fashioned pieces at Cadiz, but the means
of loading them are defective and so, too,
is the smokeless powder. However. the
military engineers expect that all these de-
fects will be set right.
Ordinary railway traffic is almost sus-
pended, as the trains are wanted to take
soldiers and marines. with munitions of
war, hither and thither.
1.-The field artillery, which was supplied
b. France before war was declared, was
originally centralized at Madrid. but it is
now being shipped to the Northern Sier-
ra. where Carlist uprisings appear. Tho
fire brigades at the various seaports are
constantly drilling to prepare themselves
to deal with burning houses during the
bombardments. The engineers have Great
cd what appear to be strong defenses at
Cadi:. but the strength must depend alto
gether upon the range of the guns
The Madrid correspondent Of the Daily
News, teiegraphing Sunday, says:
THE efforts of the government toward
peace are meeting with almost insuperable
difficulties. Ministerialists say that the
chief obstacle is President McKinley's i'm
pressionable character which is more in
f1uenced, they affect to believe, by his per-
sonal friends and the jingoes in congress
than by diplomatic counsels.
THE president sometimes appears in
clined. they say, to negotiate for peace on
reasonable terms, but at others he seems
determined upon war of conquest. with
view of convincing Europe that the
United States is great military power
which must be reckoned with
The Madrid correspondent of the Times
says:
- Peace prospects have greatly improved
during the last forty-eight hours. The
diplomatic exploration Of Duke Almodovar
de Rio, the foreign minister. has been more
practical than was supposed: and it is now
tolerably certain that the governments eff
forts are entering a new phase. which may
gradually lead to tangible results.
THE precise nature of the change Is q
secret, but there is little doubt that It
tends to direct negotiations between Spain
and the United States. there being no In
clination to seek the mediation of any neu-
tral power. The moment has arrived when
America. having reached the parting Of
the ways, must choose between war with
a specific object and an indefinable war Of
conquest.
THE present pause in hostiities Is held
to prove that the United States is reluctant
to plunge into wider sphere of action and
1t may be confidently predicted that, IL
direct negotiations are opened without de-
lay, both countries will find their views on
the main pont-that of the future Of Cuba
far from irreconcilable.
THE growing dissensions between the
Cuban insurgents and the American author
tiles are noted here with great satisfaction:
and on all sides hear it said:
.' If we must lose Cuba, it is better that
the islands should be annexed by America.
because the traitors would thereby be pun
ished and the enormous Spanish interests
in the island would be protected
THE French embassy at Washington
seems the most likely channel for opening
negotiations, and the semi-official statement
that America intends to retain Porto Rico
is regarded here as a hint to Spain to hurry
up.
There is still much talk about Carlist
intrigues and preparations, but the govern
ment. though vigilant and ready to act
energetically IL necessary. seems TO think
that, at present, there is no serious danger
of untoward developments. The danger Of
Republican movements is still less. Senor
! Nervous Exhaustion
HAP&$nvd'e Aid DhaenhaSa