The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-13
The Dynasty lmperiIed and Min
isfry Hopelessly Disrupted.
THE POPUbACE DEMANDS WAR
The sagnsta Ministry Must Reverse
Its Policy and Adopt an Aggressive
Attitude Towards America or Fall
-WeyIer's Popularity fn the Army
-CrviI War Predicted.
fsDecial Cable-Coprrighted.l }

London. April Fit is not probable that
either President Mckinley or the Amer
lean Congress will be allowed to decide
the issue of peace or war unless, indeed.
a declaration of war comes from Wash
ington within week
Neither Prime Minister Sagasta nor the
queen regent Of Spain herself any longer
has the power to concede the demands Of
the American Government. or even TO
execute the concessions already granted
The grave information on which this an
formation is based comes to your eorre-
spcndent from Madrid tonight from
source which. for obvious reasons, cannot
be disclosed. 1t is necessary only to say
that your Madrid correspondent is not
responsible for the statements which fol-
low. but they may be accepted with the
fullest confidence.
crisis has arisen in Spain which not
only makes the downfall of the Sagasta
ministry almost certain. but grayeiy I'M
periIs the dynasty itself and the existence
of the monarchy. In word, the Spanish
government is almost on the point OF col
lapse The situation has been growing rap
the patience of the people exhausted. but
the sagasta ministry is hopelessly dis
rupted. Both these facts explain the pol
icy OF tardy and therefore futile conces-
sions under the pressure Of diplomatic
and papal influences.
Premier Sagasta. the queen regent ana
Senior Moret. minister of the colonies, are
determined to yield to the American de-
nands. as far as the Spanish sentiment
win permit, in order TO maintain peace.
Senor Moret Is the real leader of the cab
met Senior Gullon. minister OF foreign
affairs, is his chief opponent. Count
xiauena. minister of commerce who Is
responsible for the declaration that Pres
ident Mckinley sought the Pope's inter-
ventfon is the most outspOken advocate
of war with the United States This was
the real motive Of his false report about
Mr.. Mckinley. by which. for the moment.
he defeated the papaI object He bitterly
opposed the armistice to the last moment
Gen. COrrea, minister OF war, has caus-
ed a public scandal by publicly disparag-
ing the Spanish navy. saving he wished
that Spain did not possess a single ship
and that she could do all her fighting or
land.
These facts sufficiently demonstrate
the decentralization of the ministry. but
the peace party has TO contend. not only
with opposition within the cabinet. but
with grave disanection in the country at
large, which has been the chief obstacle
TO their policy.
Each trifiing concession TO the Ameri-
can demands has been a test of popular
patience, which has not been aroused to
violent protest until now. The queen
regent and Senior Moret believed that the
populace would not rebel against the
armistice They made a grave mistake.
which they now realize, perhaps. too
late
The details. so far as they are per-
mitted to transpire. show much more
violent resentment throughout. Spain
than the first censorized kilograms dis
closed The only chance the Sagasta
ministry possesses for prolonsing its ex-
istence is to reverse its policy and adopt
an aggressive attitude toward the United
States.
The utterances of todays Liberal. Sa-
gasta's organ. Indicate that this chance
will be resorted to. The paper. in its
leading article discussing President Nc
Kinley's message. deuOunces interven-
ton by the United States. and adds:
1.-The American Government has at last
made clear its intentions. hidden until
now under hypocritical antiquities"
My informant at Madrid adds the fol-
lowing description of the situation:
There will be civil war here within
a month if there is not war with the
United States. The Sagasta ministry will
soon go when the people learn how they
have been deceived in every step of the
recent negotiations. including Saturdays
announcement of an armistice. when the
government gave out that il was for
five days only, with OnerOus conditions
imposed on the United States. There
will be a serious uprising of the army.
which will be useless against a mob. The
troops would join the rioters. as the gov
ernment well knows. Weyler is gaining
fresh influence with the army which he
will not hesitate to turn against the pres
ent government If opportunity Offers