Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-27
THE SlTUATION.

3D. iAD - O%A AANN'
The goternment has notified Spain
that our naval board OF inquiry has re-
ported that the loss of the Maine was
due to an external explosion. on the
other hand, Spain has officially cabled
Washington that the Spanish naval
| commission holds the disaster to be of
internal origin. This conflict of opinion
has been feared for some time; and now
that 1t has been duly chronicled, the
problem of the administration at Wash
ington will be to settle, the matter, in
the absence of any attempt of our naval
court to fix the responsibility for the
disaster.
This will certainly be difficult to ac-
complish while we remain at peace with
Spain. Spain evidently cannot be
brought to believe that any OF her sub
iects in Cuba We're responsible fer the
explosion. To acknowledge this in any
way would at once result in a formal de-
mand for indemnity on the part of the
United States.
But the United States certainly in
tends to secure satisfaction eventual
| ly though the Maine incident will prob
ably be sidetracked until the more i'm
| portant matter of intervention in Cuba
is settled. Under the circumstances
diplomatic usage favors rep
resentation' first of all by this
government, as to the facfs of the case.
To such an official note Spain must
needs reply officially; and, following her
answer, the United States will undoubt-
edly act.
| 1t is said that Spain desires peace, not
war, like the Unitad States, as a whole
The truth Of this statement will very
soon be put to test. But meanwhile
both countries are preparing for trouble
and evidently getting upon war footings
The increase of our navy, the elaborate
works of fertilization and deIence on our
part, the sending of a powerful torpedo
feet to Porto Rico and the fortifying of
! that important strategic point by Spain
all prove this. 1t may not be too much
/ to believe that Spain has already fixed
her policy, as the administration at
Washington is believed to have fixed
that of the United States, both as to the
/ Maine disaster and the general situation
in Cuba.
President Mckinley, however, has de-
termined that the Maine matter shall be
regarded as an incident and hence, be-
fore that has been closed he is likely to
make :. demand on the Spanish govern
ment that the present war in Cuba
must cease at once. This is the most
striking feature in the. present situation.
/ The demand on Spain will evidently be
coupled with suggestion that the in
4 surgents be allowed to maintain an in
dependent existence by money pay
ments to Spain. Such proposition, it
may be conceived, would not be unwel-
come to Spain in her bankrupt condition,
and would salve the wounds of defeat
and inexorable fate.
But is Spain really anxious to get rid
of Cuba as many believe? This question
has not been clearly answered by any
one as yet, and on the answer will
hinge the. more serious question of peace
or war, should events shape themselves
as certain reliable informants assure the
public they will. Once a favorable an
swer is obtained, the Maine indemnity
question might be arranged without the
necessity Of war
Whatever is going to happen will be
known ere long. That much is
certain When the report of the
court of inquiry has been submitted to
congress this week and appropriate ac-
tion taken thereon, the general Cuban
problem and the Maine problem will be
at last clearly before the world, and
clamorous for immediate settlement
That will be the crisis to which a long
period of trouble and anxiety has led
up, and it will be a crisis which Presi-
dent Mckinley will meet wisely and
firmly, in a manner worthy of our best
American traditions.