Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-08-18
FEELING IN MADRID.
Great Relief Felt That the Cortes
Will Not Be Convoked.
ANXIOUS ABOUT The ARMY LEADERS
Many Of the Most Noted Spanish Generals
Quietly Awaiting Events-Peace VIII
Cause the Military Establishment
to BE Increased.

be published simultaneously in the
official gazettes here and In Washing.
ton. The papers discuss the situation
quietly and great relief Is felt in gov.
eminent and court circles that Presi-
dent Mckinley has not demanded a
convocation Of the cortes to approve
the peace preliminariea The cortes
will not be summoned until autumn,
by which time it is expected that the
agitation Of the extremists will have
cooled down and the country have be-
coined more inclined TO accept accom-.
plished facts
The commission to meet In the West
Indies will be composed, 1t is UNDER
stood, Of military officers, and it is
believed here that this commission
will pave the way for commercial
treaties and for recognition by the
United States or Cuba Of a portion Of
the Cuban debt. The suggestion that
Senior Moret, former minister for the
colonies, may preside over the Paris
commission is not very popular Vari-
GUS names are mentioned in connection
with the commissions personnel, but
nothing has yet been settled as to this.
Senior Sagasta has again assured the
queen regent that he does not fear
Carlist trouble, and the Carlists them.
selves appear to recognize that the
country is not In the temper that
would support Carlist rising. They
are specializing on the return Of the
disconnected army, hoping for mis-
chief there
The burning question on every ones
lips, now that the war is over, is:
What is the attitude of the army lead
ers, among whom Gen. Polavieja stands
forth as the sole out.and.out champion
of the dynasty? Gen. Weyler remains
the sphynx of the dynastic opposition,
striving to group under his banner all
discontinued spirits, whether Carlists,
republicans or socialists; but careful
investigation shows that the real par
tisans Of this Spanish Boulanger, al
though noisy, are few and scandals
connected with his accumulating q
princely fortune while soldiers under
his command were unpaid have, for
tunately for Spain, greatly diminished
Gen. Weyler's prestige The remain
ing marshals and generals, nearly all
Of whom owe their advancement serv-
ice in the Philippines or Cuba, care
fully abstain from committing them
selves to any political party. This is
the case even with such pronounced
Alfonsoists as Amiciarraga and Chin
chilla, the present captain general OF
Madrid, who, like the rest, are simply
awaiting events.
Meanwhile it is evident that the
first result Of peace will be not to d.
minish, but toincrease, the permanent
military establishment of the country,
because Senior Sagasta recognizes the
necessity Of offering scope to the army
by providing posts for several thou
sand officers who must soon return
home. This involves the creation of
new regiments and costly staff ap.
pointments, which the minister Of war
has already taken in hand.
The drift of public opinion here is
aptly illustrated by the following re-
marks made by Senior Sagasta to one
of his friends: "We have at least the
consolation, amid our misfortunes, Of
knowing that we have, in Cuba and
the Philippines, bequeathed to the
United States almost insurmountable
obstacles, which, for many years to
come, it will be in our power to render
still more formidable, should it be our
policy to do So"