The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-21
DURATION OF THE WAR.
What May Happen III Things DO Not
Go Cur Way.

What May Happen III Things Do Not
Go Cur Way.
New York Evening Post.
In case we have a war with Spain, an
important question will be, how long will
such a war would be begun on account of
Cuba, the taking of that island by us would
De the end of 1t. But that does not follow.
spain might be willing to drop Cuba pro-
vided she could be rid of it without dis
honor. She might not be sorry to have 1t
Mle the IRON her by superior , FORCE slncs
woful expenditure of blood and treasure, to
which at present she sees no end. If she
could be rid of that burden involuntarily,
50 that her people could not reproach either
the government or themselves she would
the rebellion. She has spent $500. co., and
hsr present expenses there are at the rate
or $S,OOOUO per month. Why should she
not welcome any chance. which should ap-
pear honorable in her own eyes and in those
OF the world; to abandon the task?
instead of being weaker after losing Cuba
ana, perhaps, Porto Rico, Spain would be
stronger than before and in much better
condition 70 fight. The war woald then be
prosecuted on the ocean, wherever any
American or Spanish ships are to be found
war ships and others. Spanish commerce
also. We have more to lose than Spain has,
put whether little or much 1t would all go.
IL would not be necessary that any of our.
rates of marine insurance would be prohib-
tory, and that would settle the whole ,ques-
ton Our ships would not leave our own
ports. Our goods would either be carried in
Ioreign bottoms both coastWSe and other
wise, or not be carried at ALL British COM
merce would be the principal gamer. The
German, French, Norwegian and Italian
ship owners would gain in proportion to their
available tonnage. They would divide the
spoils OF both Spanish and american COM
merce among Themselves, and rightly So
Inat would be one of the punishments that
both combatants would suffer 1T would be
IN proportion to the amount Of their ship
ping and to the duration of the war.
is there any reason why such a war
should ever end? Other powers might in
terrere, but we can see no reason why it
should end at our option Spain is so far
distant that we could not invade her even
II we had an army; but we have no army,
and 1t appears that Congress is not in favor
OF having one. Congress, we are told, wants
a war, but wants it without soldiers. or at
all events without trained officers. During
the last administration it wanted to have
us biils paid without money. 1t wants to
nave war ships without steel plates That
IS the reason why we are buying ships
abroad now. Other nations go to war on
tti ne gold basis, and take great pains to have
the gold in readiness. We should probably
go about it on the silver basis, or reach it
soon The Democrats. or majority of
them would perhaps favor war for that
reason. Many droll conceptions find Iodg-
lnent In the national capital, but the droll-
est OF all is the conception that the war
would naturally end with our taking Cuba.
In fact, 1t would only begin there We
should then stand in SPANS shoes so far
Gents sG say tbe the i1Iand goes The insur
nave Fought Spain. If we do not recognize
their independence That means that inn
mediately after taking Cuba we should
evacuate It,. Undoubtedly that would be
the best and cheapest thing for us to do
out we should feet rather sheepish, perhaps.
Wnen We came to cast up the account of
pront and loss. Spain, as we have said is
100 Tar distant to be invaded by us, even
to her? How can we compel her ' ia st an
lighting after we take Cuba? What form
OF coercion can we put upon her? She can
crack OF doom. Privateers are commerce
destroyers, and these go without being sent.
Il IS with them a private speculation. They
posed that we can chase them off the
ocean? One Alabama was sufficient to
s seas our sn merc "a nag from the high
spain has navy of her own. She is not
In the plight that the. Confederates were
during the civil war. She has recognized
standing among nations. as the Confeder-
ates had not. She has ports. She has dry
docks, and that is more than we can boast
OF. She has nearlJ' as many ships to be-
gin with as we have, and she can build
more according to her need-not as many as
we can, perhaps. but enough to prolong war
indefinitely, since one cruiser afloat will an
initiate more commerce than ten can pro-
tect Have not our .jingoes been telling us
make with British commerce by means OF
half dozen fast cruisers? And cannot
Spain perform the same office for us not
TO mention her volunteer fleet of priyateers?
1t may be said that we blockade
Spain, but nobody. really believes that. We
cannot blockade her any more than she
can blockade US. We have no coaling sta
lions In the Mediterranean, and we shall get
scant help in that way from any Of the
powers OF Europe If we show ourselves the
disturbers of the worlds peace by begin
ming the war. Spain has shown her prudence
by Withdrawing her war ships from Havana
IN order. perhaps. to let us fire the first
gun. IL we attack Havana while her ships
are absent, there can never be any ques-
Franco-Prussian war Of 1870 demonstrated
that the worlds sympathy is a great factor
in wars at the present day Even when not
accompanied by active help. 1t encourages
one side and depresses the other. Thrice is
he armed who hath his quarrel just"
There is no means TO localize the strife
or confine Ii to West Indian waters Modern
wars between maritime nations rage over
the four quarters of rhe globe. and they
keep anything atoat. VS. can imageine some
surprise on the part of our jngoes after
clearing Spain out of Cuba" IL the war
should be found to be still active in the
Pacific and Indian and Other oceans, but we
could hardly expect Spain to discontinue
the fight because she had lost the first
round. She would then have the S. 600 900
per month which she IS now spending in
Cuba to spend on us. and she would be
likely, judging by her temper, 10 use il in
that way long as she could procure it. In
short II rests with us to begin the war. but
abo,d M not resi- sooIis n s s sna ana we
us by stopping 1t merely because we had
taken Cuba from her.
1t may be supposed that the other pow
ers would not allow such 4 war TO be pro-
longed indefinitely since it would involve
tho stopping OF ships by the beligerents or
the high seas to determine the true charac-
ter OF vessels and cargoes. In many cases
there would be doubts, which could be SET
tied only by prize courts. That is what prize
courts exist for. The commercial world
would get tired eventually of such disturb
ances. disputes and delays, and would take
measures TO end them. but in doing SO II
would be compelled to look at the original
cause OF the war, in the light OF internafior-
al law IN such tribunal the verdict would
almoss certainly be against the nation that