The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-23
France Wants Speedy Termination
of the War.
ANXIOUS TO SAVE SPAIN
Desires a Slice of the Philippines
Herself.
Will Urge Spain to Sue For Peace at
the First Favorable Moment, In
Order That the Philippines May
Be Saved-Belligerency of the
New Cabinet.

| London, May 23.-The Madrid CORE
| spondent of the Daily Telegraph says
One point of interest in the recon
struction OF the cabinet lies in the OBJ
1 stinate refusal of Senior Leon Cas-
tillo, the Spanish ambassador to
| France, to accept the foreign secre-
taryship. Every consideration has
first reply to the premier's request ex-
pressed the conviction that the inter
ests of Spain would be best served by
I his remaining at Paris. Senior Sagasta
answered, pointing out that the head
of the government was the best judge
of the interests of the fatherland, and
insisting upon the ambassador &C
ceptance. To the surprise of every
body. the ambassador persisted in his
refusal and promised in a personal in
terview to prove to Senior SagaSta
that ii would be a grave mistake for
him to leave Paris.
Il am enabled to state that the am
bassador's motive for refusal was the
following:
.'Senor Sagasta's cabinet is, by its
own formal declaration, determined to
vigor, whereas Senior Leon y Castillo
is aware that SPANS friends among
the powers, France in particular, are
resolved to insist upon her suing for
peace at the first favorable moment.
France possessed a two-f0ld interest
in desiring peace concluded--financial
and political. The former would be Sc
verely damaged if Spain were ruined
and the latter will suffer If the United
States retain permanent possession of
the Philippines.
THE leading idea which actuates the
statesmen responsible for the political
scheme favored by Senior Leon y Cas-
tillo is that as Spain must be defeated
in the long run, il is advisable to save
as much as possible from destruction,
and that the sooner peace is concluded
the more tolerable will be the terms
acquiesced in by the United States.
THE most important of these terms,
N the eyes of SPANS friends and pro-
tectors, is the possession Of the Philip
pines, which can be utilized for fur
Their political combinations later on.
ITO become a member of a war cabi-
net, therefore, at the very moment
when the friendly great powers are re-
solved to press upon Spain speedy
peace. appears imprudent to Senior
Leon Y Castillo, who is in possession
of all the threads of the negotiations.
Senior Sagasta's cabinet is certainly
DESTROYS of retaining popularity with
the country by prosecuting the war to
the bitter end, but it is highly i'm
probable that, heretofore having fol-
lowed the advice of the continental
powers, 1t will refuse to accept coun-
sci of peace proffered under the
promise of future help, and
especially if the United States
valves all claims to the Philippines.
Spain's Importance as a political fac
tor in the far east is now thoroughly
and everything possible
will be done to gain time and profit by
it. Her position as a Mediterranean
power, her influence in Morocco, her
we'll disciplined land and sea forces,
and above all, her possession of the
Philippines. constitutes the political as
pect of the question. The first and most
important step at present. therefore, is
to utilize the most propitious moment
for concluding peace on the basis of
Spain's retention of the Philippines.
When that time has come-and it is
believed to be very near. now that the
Spanish squadron is at Santiago-Spain
will be asked to propose pourparieurs
and friendly efforts will be made to in
duce the United States to rest salts
fed with Cuba's independence. or with
and to abandon the scheme
of taking permanently or occupying
the Philippines.
These are the grave considerations
which determined Senior Leon y Cas-
tillo, who is a party politician and US
ually submissive to the head of his
party, to insist upon remaining an am
70 vi