The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-03
TO AVERT
PUNISHMENT
Spain IS Now playing a
Very Deep Game.
WARS EFFECT ON TRADE.
Business Circles Have No Fear Of
Money Stringency.
WARS EFFECT ON TRADE.
DBARTH OF HAVANA CIGARS.

WASHINGTON, May O. Especial. u
"Spain's policy since the elimination of
the present crisis has been peculiar one"
said member OF the diplomatic corps to
me. "It appears that tho government at
Madrid has been talking valiantly and at
the same time proceeding in the most eau
tious manner possible Wo have during
the last ten days or two weeks heard Of
many speeches made by Sagasta and other
Spanish leaders, all full Of vigor and vim,
all breathing vengeance upon the Yam.
KEGS, all telling what great things Spain
is going to do just as soon as she starts
ont At the same time we get thrpueh
Spanish avenues more or less information
as to the activity of the Spanish naval
preparations, as 10 the assembling OF ships.
as to the plans that are being laid for ag.
gressive action.
"But 1t has struck the most of us who
are nero lockers on In Vienna, SO to speak,
that Spain's performances are, so far, out or
proportion to her promises She has done
nothing at all. Her fleets have not as yet
appeared OH this side Of the ocean, and there
Is no telling when they will appear The
United Stntes has surrounded Cuba with
warships. Havana Is suffering blockade.
Cuba Is threatened with early conquest.
Still Spain does not move with the energy
and yigor which the speeches OF her lead
Ing men would lead us TO expect. There
is no other nation In Europe certainly no
ljyst class power, that would ave adopted
these tactics. II the government which
represent. for instance, were to be threat
cned as Spain has been threatened by your
people, and war had been declared upon
ne, we should ere this have had all our
fleets In motion. Not moments time
would have been lost. There would have
been no doubt as to our intention to fight,
and to light desperately.
Playing. . Deep Game.
"Spain's peculiar policy has led many Of
us to believe that at Madrid there are still
hopes OF ayerting a serious war, conclud-
ed this diplomat. "It may be SPANS plan
to stand on the defensive for awhile, to SEQ
whether or nos the United States will de-
velop policy of vigorous action. Spain
may hope that II she moves slowly there
may DO mediation Of the powers which
will give her a chance tn drop out OF Cuba
IN dignity without being forced to engage
IN q ruinous war. This sort of talk Is
heard q great deal In diplomatic circles,
but we are only surnising. We have no
positive Information upon which to base
our impressions. Yet it is truo that the
most OF Us believe Spain Is playing some
deep game by which she hopes TO avert Sc
we're puniehment at the hands Of the Unit
I'd States. y
whether the war with Spain shall bo
short one or long one, 1t is not yet hurt
Ing trade very much. AT least this is tho
opinion Of prominent business men with
whom I have talked. | mot the other day
man from Chicago who Is engaged In
commercial operations on large scale.
rcmnrked to him that had heard many
Of the western wholesale merchants were
calling In their travelling salesmen and
keeping them at horne for "A time.
:" Is this because they arc afraid the war
is going to bring ON panic and thus do
otroy tho ability of country customers to
pay their billss'' asked
sNot pt al.. was the response. ut is
true many wholesale houses are calling In
their statesmen, bat tho reason is "A wholly
different one. They do not like 10 cell
goods mt current prices. They anticipate
that thcro may be an advance in values In
most lines, ard they do not want TO put
their goods out mt tho lower level. There
Is not the slightest fear ia business circles
OF any rnDic or oven of a money strin-
gcncy as result OF tho war with Spain.
business ,nen ere feeling very easy. OF
course therc ney he little check In somc
lines. Certain enterprises will no held up,
aud large building operations which were
In contemplation may halt till the sky
clcnrs little, but even this slight effect Is
expected to bo merely temporary. The
war 10 not going to retard our prosperity
appreciably.
American News Gathorers.
In ono line OF trade prices arc rising rap
Idly. Havana cigars Will soon be worth
almost their weight in gold. Imported
goods are becoming moro and moro scarce,
and even Key West igars made of import
ed Cuban tobacco will soon be dilllcult to
obtain. was In club the other day. and
when the keeper of the cigar stand re-
marked that they were now selling the
last consignment Of imported cigars they
expected 20 get dozen men, hearing tho
gossip, stepped up and bought all the way
from one TO ba.s . dozen boxes each and
had them put away for their private usc
II tho war over Cuba continues long,
thousands OF Americans who have been
smoking Havana cigars will find II neces-
sary to take TO pipes or Mexican cigars,
the only satisfactory substitutes for genu-
Inc Cuban grown smokers.
American newspapers are already Civ
Ing the world an object lesson In what
real nows gathering enterprise is Nothing
like the oonplctonoss and vividness OF the
dispatches now appearing In our papers
from all the points Of interest was ever
ooon IN the world before. Al the time Of
Che civil war In this country the art Of
nows gathering had not been sairly de-
vcIopCd. This fs tbe, first real test the