The times., 1898-02-16
WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 1s. 1895
The Allie ed Spanish Apology.

Let us hope that the Spanish apollo
gy is as ample and satisfactory as the
Administration asserts il to be- Only a
synopsis has been received, but the full
text is expected TO be not only COM
forting. but red, white and blue i'm its
fullness and freshness We trust that
the complete note will not differ as
much from its advance sheets as the
synopsis of Cuban autonomy, upon
which the President based his message
to Congress, did from the full decree
when that arrived. But Mr.. Mckinley
is an optimist where Spain is concern
ed. and is not inclined to borrow trou-
ble in that direction.
We must admit that he and his Sec
Ietary of Agricultural Statecraft have
dune everything possible to avoid dis
rupti0n Of friendly relations by render
ing tenable The Spanish contention.
which may OF may not have been
abandoned. The Dupuy de Lone letter
has been surrendered by the State De
psltment 10 the paid representative OF
Senor Canalejas, and ii has been ex-
plicitly stated that it was done because
the document was found to be the
property of that gentleman. If this ac-
ton does not constitute an admission
that the communication was unofficial.
private and privileged, what does il
mean? Has Spanish diplomacy out
Hitted Mr. Mckinley again, or was
this deliberate movement to vacate
any right Of further protest.
Whatever view of the letter the Pres
ident now may take, OF be forced to
take i'm consequence of the way in
which he has handled the incident
there can be no doubt in any patriotic
or honest mind as to how he should
have regarded it at the outset. The
more confidential the communication
can be shown to have been the more
surely win it appear that it presented
the views and undeniably represented
the duplicity of the Spanish govern
ment in its dealings with the Admins
tration. Canalejas. to whom it was ad-
dressed, had been in Washington for
the purpose of consulting with Dupuy
de LONE, and of bringing to him pr-
waite advices. counsel and instructions
triots became very intimate and con-
fiding in each other While together in
the American capital. There is no
doubt that De Lome's superiors in Ma
drid assured him that he could com
municate with and impart to Canalejas
anything he might desire to without
the slightest reserve.
=
of this It's context shows it to be a
continuation Of frank condolences in
which the real purposes of Spain to
humbug the amiable Mr.. Mckinley and
TO gain time for Interior ends had been
frankly discussed. When Senior Dupuy
de LONE mentioned the reciprocity
scheme as something only for effect"
it was merely casual remark referring
to fun understanding previously had.
There was not. nor could there be. the
slightest doubt that the letter exposed
the real play of the Spanish govern
ment The moment Mr.. Mckinley was
satisfied as to the authorship. he should
have accepted and acted upon that as
the only possible hypothesis. Any other
intelligent man would and must have
done so. Then where was the utility in
his asking Sagasta to declare that
Spains minister misrepresented her
real actions and intentions in a conf
dental note to a colleague. who was
acting as a secret envoy of his govern
ment? Suppose Sagasta has sworn to
everything that our State Department
asked him TO? How much does any
one suppose that such a -disavowar'
modifies the conclusive evidence that
Dupus de Lome's words actually repre-
sented the position and designs of
Spain? 1
1t does not appear to us that the hole
left for the Administration 10 crawl out
of in connection with this business is /
a large or a very smooth one