The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-19

war. then let war come and let the
United States show the whole world how
vigorously it win revenge a great national
wrong and drive from our vicinity the
people who keep its subjects under the
yoke Of bondage"
Arbitration Wont Do.
Senator Harris. like every other sena-
tor, is averse TO the notion of submitting
the subject TO arbitration. 1t is too hor-
rible a suggestion to III tolerated. ezcn
for the sake OF the argument ITO talk
Of arbitration" said he. lis to talk of
the submission of the national honor TO
court. That is question that cannot
be settled by any court except the court
OF last resort among nations. To submit
this matter to arbitration after the long
/ and painstaking investigation our naval
| officers have made would be equivalent to
| compromising our national integrity and
! the nation would not hear to it. | do not
! care who might suggest it nor how high
/ might be the motives that actuated the
suggestion. That the investigation Of our
| own court is to be put up by way of com
! parison with the superficial investigation
made by the Spanish officials is not to he
thought of. We might as well relinquish
our rights as a nation among the peoples
of the earth and if we attempt it the peo-
! pie of the United States will not tolerate
| it. 1t would end in revolution and revo-
luton would be preferable to such cow
ardly mode of yielding our rights and
privileges.
For one. l am tired of the delay that
| has been practiced since this war began.
l want to see Cuba freed from the bond
age in which she has been held for all
| these years, and / expect to see some de-
cisive action during the next few days. If
such action is not taken the people will
hold the Administration to strict ac-
countability for its conduct of this af-
fair. There is but one way. to my mind.
to deal with the subject, and that is to
make our demands, insist upon their COM
pliance and if they are not complied with
then to enforce them with the full force
and power of the Government"
One of the very prominent members of
| the Senate Committee on Foreign Rela-
tons, who has long been out of all pa
thence with the delay that has been ex-
perienced IN dealing with the Cuban ques-
ton, insists that this Government pursue
a policy with respect TO the starving re-
/ concentrates that will force Spain to ac-
cept the aid of this Government in the
way fl shall be offered or fight, and if a
war ensues as the result of the efforts Of
this Government to feed the starving
thousands that Spain has brought to this
state Of destitution, then this senator is
willing that the nations of the earth shall
judge of the righteousness of the cause.
Il have had il intimated to me- said
this senator, that there is TO be a further
postponement of American interference
until after the yellow fever season, which
will soon set in. / do not want TO see
brave American soldiers sacrificed to that
dread fever, but at the same time ] can
not brook this unceasing delay. There are
some things that ought to be done, and if
those things are done then we can af-
ford TO wait few months longer. The
Spanish policy has produced the recon-
centrados and is responsible for the star
walton on the island. We cannot sit idly
by and see thousands OF people starved
to death. We must feed them. l want
this Government TO appropriate a million
dollars for the purchase Of supplies, and I
want TO see them sent to Cuba under the
protection of our own ships OF war and
our own agents distribute the relief If
that is Objectionable to the Spaniard and
he wishes TO fight our ships will be there
TO fight. If this relief is extended we can,
perhaps, afford to wait a more convenient
season for striking the blow that shall
mn N, ~ Al or he rI,1a
rable business and set Cuba free.
St. Thomas Should Be Ours.
But there are other things I want TO
see done. The President should at once
use q portion of the emergency appropria-
ton donated the other day by Congress
in the purchase Of the island Of St Thorn
as from the Danish government for the
purposes Of a coaling station We have
no coaIing stations on the other side of
Cuba and if we are to have a war with
Spain they are as essential as ships and
| guns. ! believe war is to come, and coal
is an essential in the conduct of war,
and IS a contraband of war in the hands
Of neutral nations.
THE Danish government would be glad
to sell US the Islands of st. Thomas and
St. John. They were offered to US at one
| time for ten millions and we could have
! got them for seven had the negotiations
been conducted with promptness and dis
patch. We need that island now if ever
we needed it. 1t is TO the east Of Porto
Rico a Spanish possession, and would
| form an excellent base from which to con-
duct operations. We should also have the
mole St Nicholas, on the western extrem-
ity Of Haiti, and Immediately opposite
! Cape Maysi. which is the easternmost
point Of the Island Of Cuba. Haiti would
probably lease il to the United States,
and If that government would not let US
| have It the United States would be amply
| justified in taking possession of it, any
how, by the payment of a proper rental
Both these stations should be secured
without delay, and when that has been
done we shall be in a position TO drive
Spain from the Western Hemisphere with
the least possible amount Of trouble But