The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-04-03
NOT YET CONVINCED THAT WAR
WILL COME
THE UNFORESEEN MAY HAPPEN
sagasta's Proposals, Read Between
the Lines, Indicate an Intention
to Avoid Extreme Measures
Associated Press Special Wire

! LONDON, April z.-\COpyriSHt, io'o'' He
| nervousness of the stock market, which
was emphasized by sudden drop Of pei
cent in Spanish As at the opening OF the
stock exchange. has been fully reflected In
| diplomatic circles, which have experienced
| almost as much difficulty as outsiders in
extracting facts from the mass of contra
dictory statements regarding the Hispano-
American crisis today. Beyond opinionins
generally that matters were approaching
crisis there was not a man in London OF
| real weight who was willing to risk an
| opinion as to whether the outcome would
be peace or war Even now there is diff
| ference of opinion, but the distinctly war
| like tones OF the great mass OF evidence
| and the marked divergence of the United
States demands and SPANS proposals
| have led the majority to conclude that the
| parting Of the ways has been reached I'M
| less within a few hours Senior Sagasda Is
able to give assurances that the delay he
asks for will insure the complete freedom
| of Cuba. 1t Is not too much to say all Eu-
rope regrets, though for different reasons
some because genuinely friendly nations
are involved and others because they dread
the war bacillus will spread and aggravate
the feverish spirit of unrest already in
evidence in the old world. To the last,
therefore, 1t is hoped that solution will
be found, even when Spain is apparently in
tractable.
The best informed persons believe Spain
is only temporizing G, as It is recognized there
is difficulty in the Spanish governmental
accepting without demur the demands OF
the United States, in view of the danger of
revolution and the overthrow of the
monarchy. So, though realizing the imml.
nence of hostiHties, the apparent hopeless
ness of averting war has come as shock.
Although the consensus of opinion is that
there is no escape from hostiiities unless
the unforeseen, as so freQuentlyhappen in
politics, changes the course Of events, there
are few hopeful people left.
James Bryce, NJ. p, the former president
of the board of trade and author Of THE
American Comm Is quoted as
saying: Somehow, fancy that, as near
as the two powers may have drifted toward
war. We are not going to witness SO fright
full a calamity. I know President McKin-
ley and his administration and know
they do not wish for war. In fact, none of
the really clearheaded men in the United
States want war. They can see too far
ahead"
Opinions in London have been but little
influenced by the specious character of
Senior Sagasta's counter proposals. AS
one official of the foreign office remarked
THE Americans will naturally decline to
accept such proposals as sufficient guar
antee that power which has so long and
persistently failed to discharge its duties
in humane administration cannot be trust.
| ed IN give efpapt IN q
Reading between the lines of Senior Sa.
gastas proposals have reason to think he
does not mean to drive matters to ex.
construction put upon them that his con.
dition will not relieve the United States OF
the duty of Intervention, compelled, as the
Americans are. by a sense of moral obliga.
ton to take action in the matter. So il
Senior Sagasta is as strong as he is un'
questionably we'll meaning, he will per.
suade his countrymen to accept unre'
servedly the American conditions"
The positive semi-official declaration
telegraphed last night to the Associated
Press from Madrid, in which 1t was an
nounced that no proposition containing
the slightest allusion to the independence
of Cuba, either with or without indemnity
has been made to the Spanish government
that the government would straightway
reject any such propositions, and there is
no party or statesman in Spain disposed t.
listen to such solution of the crisis, ha:
created mild sensation here, as it ha:
been assumed that the independence Of
Cuba was the crux of the difficulty. 1t has
even been suggested in pro-Spanish circles
that the war party in the United States
launched this device in order to upset dip
lomatic negotiations at Madrid.
Spanish circles here have been greatly
excited by the publication of an interview
with the Spanish consul-general here
Senior Jurado, which conveyed the impress
| sion that if the settlement of the difficulty
was left to the Spaniards of London, SPAR
would fight; but other people here point
out that the Spaniards do not realize the
volcano which Is beneath them. They sus
pect the United States of "bluffing," an6
| believe she is afraid to come to close quar-
| tiers. In addition, the Spaniards have a
profound faith in the infallibility of their
| fleet.
From the extraordinary activity at the
| Spanish legation here it is evident that
Spain is seeking the friendly offices of the
thought that the frequent visits of the
French, Austrian, Russian and Spanish
ambassadors to the British foreign office
is connected with the Cuban situation.
The newspapers, having reached the
stage of regarding war between the United
States and Spain as inevitable, are printing
maps of the area of probable opera tons
details regarding the fleets, the facts con-
| corning the troops, ornaments, prepared
ness of the medical corps, etc.
The naval experts dwell upon Spain's dis
advantages in having to act at such dis
| lance from her naval base. One high au-
thority recalled an interesting impression
derived abroad from Spanish man-of-war
that an element which will tend seriously
to the detriment of the Spanish navy will
be found in the contempt with which the
superiors regard their interiors. He said
"They all looked upon the rank and file
as completely beneath them. and enter
tanned sort of feudal scorn for their sub
ordinates."
The Statist anticipates hostilities, which
it regards as imminent, though it does not
relinquish the hope that it will cause big
advance in the money market in London.
The paper thinks the United States will
require large loan, which will find a
ready market here, especially as, under
the circumstances, the government will
have no difficulty in inducing congress to
make the interest and the principal payable
in gold
What Machinery Has none