The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-02

cial reports. between the number of in
surgents killed and the number of
Spanish soldiers wounded. while the
mortality among the horses continues
heavy. This is all there is of the mill
tary situation on which Spain might
base the pr~etension that her arms are
making Roadway.
AS to an armistice nothing has been
done. and General Blanc apparently Is
able TO do nothing until he changes his
methods. The two agents of the gov
eminent who are acting under General
Pando's directions in trying to open ne
gotiations for the acceptance Of am
plined autonomy are still at n
plantation near Holauin I'm Santiago de
Cuba province. They are trying to
reach Calixto Garcia. but content them
selves with sending out letters to the
insurgent camp.
Gomez can be reached as quickly
from Havana as from Hoiquin. He
will receive a proposition for an armis-
tice sent from General Blanco under a
flag of truce and in no other way. This
Is as well understood in government cir
cles as among the insurgents. The Of
ficials will not admit that this stage
of recognizance of the belligerency OF
the insurgents has been reached, yet
there will be no communication be-
tween Blanco and Gomez except open
~ and under forms OF war.
Gomez. according to the latest ad-
vices from him. does not except such
an admission. He seems To think the
best method OF settling the question
which will have the proper regard for
Spanish sus~ceptibilities IL through a
| commission or commissioner from the
United States. He has promised that
any commission shall be conducted to
his camp within two days after leav-
ill.,. ..
Spiritus in Santa Clara province.
But any negotiations. either direct or
through the good Offices of the WASH
ington administration. must be based
at the outset on the recognition OF Gu
ban Independence. No armistice VIII be
arranged that does not proceed from
that starting point. and no peace nego-
tiations will be begun except on this
condition. Information on this point Is
not guess-work. 1t is definite n
trustworthy.
Consul General Lee has so far re-
ceived no intimation that the negotia-
tions between Spain and the United
States have made progress to the de-
gree that communication may be OPP
ened with the insurgents. If the peace
full cession of independence depend
ed on the temper of the Spanish classes
in Cuba IL woul be defeated. their
temper is an ugly one. The report on
the Maine disaster had been so tho
roughly discounted I'm advance that its
publication caused no demonstration
here. Nevertheless. violent and pas
sionate objections are made to IL, and
ignorance is played on. infiaming minds
to believe that the finding OF an exter-
ior explosion was made by the Ameri-
can board for the purpos of giving the
United States a grievance against
Spain. The falsehood that Captain
Sigsbee and his officers were not on
board is repeated. This lis a sample of
the way Spanish prejudices are INVOKED
However. all classes recognize that the
Maine incident in itself is not going To
cause war between the two countries.
The irritation of the ultra oyalists
shows itself i'm another manner. The
conservatives who say they are giving
the government patriotic support be-
cause of the aggression of the United
States are demanding that succor to the
re-concentrados be stopped. and that II
aid IL necessary, which they profess t6
deny, Il be given by their own author
ity. No heed will he paid to this de
mand. General Blanco could not heed
IL without exposing to the world the
utter impotence of Spanish power in
Cuba and the inability of the govern
ment to feed the starving population
American relief must continue, not sim
ply for the reco~ncentrados, but for tn,
large proportion of the town popula
ton which will be without means n
support until peace il restored.
Many Americans are leaving Havana
but IL is not because of a fear of i'm
mediate hostilities. The larger portion
of them are n~aturalized Cubans. WheI
the situation was most threatenin,
they were advised to make their ar
rangements for departure. \ chang
to a more pacific tone has not ALTERED
their opinions. General Lee is not of
icially advising anybody to leave Ha
vana. but he is not urging those VIII
want to go hat they should remain.