Evening star., 1898-12-05
A New Building for the Depart
ment of Justice Urged--The
National Capital Centen-
NAL Indorsed.

The President today sent the following
message TO Congress:
t. the Senate and House Of Representa-
tives:
Notwithstanding the added burdens rcn-
Lered necessary by the war our people re-
joiCe in a very satisfactory and steadily
mere asiuG degree Of pros perity evidenced
yy the largest volume of business ever re-
corded Manufacture has been productive
agricultural pursuits have yielled atun-
ian: returns, labor in all fields Of indus
lry is better rewarded, revenue legislation
passed by the present Congress has in
creased the tIcasury's receipts to the
amount estimated by its authors. the
finances Of the government have been sue
csssfully administered and its credit ad-
vanced TO the first rank. while its cur
rency has been maintained AT the word 8
highest standard. Military service under a
common flag and for righteous cause has
strengthened the national spirit and served
70 cement moe closely than ever the fra
rernaI bonds between every section Of the
country.
a review OF the relation of the United
States to other powers, always appropriate
Is This year of primary Importance in view
of the momentous issues which have
arisen. demanding in one instance the uItt-
mate determination by arms and involving
far-reachiUg consequences which viii re-
quTc the earnest attention Of the Congress.
THE CUBAN QUESTION.
In my last annual message very fun con-
sideration vas given 20 the question of the
duty Of the government OF the United
States toward Spain and the Cuban insur-
rection as being by far the most important
problem with which we we're then called
upon to deal. The considerations then ad-
vanced. and the exposition Of The views
therein expressed. disclosed my sense Of
the extreme gravity of the situation. Set-
tirg aside as logically unfounded or 9rac-
tieaUy iuad:nisSible. the recognition Of the
Cuban insurgents as beiligereHts. the Tecog-
milton Of the independence Of Cuba. neutral
Intervention 10 end the war by imposing a
rational compromise between the confess
ants. Intervention in favor Of one or the
other party and forcible annexation # the
island, l concluded it was honestly due 10
our friendly relations with Spain that she
should be given a reasonable chance 10
realize her expectations of reform 10 which
she had become irrevocab3y committed.
Within a few weeks previously she had an
ilDuilE'tl q tOlIlpIt EtflStNt pans WHICH II " =
confidently asserted would b. eficaciCus to
remedy the evils so deeply affecting our
own country. so injurious TO the true in
terests Of the mother country as well 10
those Of Cuba. and so repugnant 10 the
universal sentiment Of humanity.
The ensuing month brought little sign pf
real progress toward the pacification of Gu
ba. The autonomous adminisJra tions set
i'm M. Of ba Al
cities appeared not to gain the favor of the
inhabitants nor to be able TO extend Their
influence to the large extent of territory
held by the insurgents, while the military
arm. obviously unable TO cope with the still
active rebellion, continued many of the
I.Ost Objectionable and offensive policies CT
the government that had preceded it. No
tangible relief was afforded the vast num-
hers Of unhappy reconcentradOs despite the
reiterated professions made in that regard
and the amount appropriated by Spain %
that end The profrered expedient of zones
OF cultivation proved Hlusory; indeed no
less practical nor more delusive promises II
suCcOT could well have been rendered to the
exhausted and destitute people, stripped of
all that made life and home dear and
her led in a strange region among unsym-
paL4eti. strangers hardly less necessitous
than. ''.emselves.
BY tho end of December the mortality
among them had frightfully increased.
Conservative estimates from spanish
sources placed the deaths among these dis
tressed people at over forty per cent from
the time General Weyler's decree of recon
centration was enforced With the acqui-
tsCence Of the Spanish authorities a scheme
was adopted for relief by charitable contri-
buttons raised in this country and iistrfD-
uted. under The direction of the consul-ger-
eral and the several cOnsuls. by noble and
earnest individual effort through the or
gauized agencies of the American Red
Cross. Thousands OF lives were thus save,t
hut many thousands more Were inaccessible
TO such forms Of i'd.
The war continued on the old footing
without comprehensive plan, developing
only the same spasmOdic encounters. bar
ren Of strategic result, that had marked the
course Of the earlier ten years rebellion as
we'll as the present insurreciion from lis
start No alternative save physical exhaus-
ton Of either combatant, and therewithal