Arizona republican., 1898-03-24
DOES SPAIN MEAN TO FIGHT?


 minds of many of us whether Spain really desires to fight the United States rather than yield Cuba without a struggle and whether she means to do so. We have seen our coast pEo- tected rapidly with heavy guns, our regular army summoned from the in terior to the threatened points Of at tack, our battleships and cruisers mo- bilized within a hundred miles of Ha- vana, such vessels as were out of com mission put quickly into fighting trim, two staunch ships bought of an Eng fish firm of builders. and con gross ap- propriating fifty million dollars as an emergency fund. We have remem- bered that for all the supplies and yes sells we procure we have the ability to pay cash, and that any additions to her armament which Spain may make will be paid for in borrowed money or with a promissory note.
 We have pictured the Peninsular Kingdom as poverty stricken, it's peo- pie ignorant and indolent, it's resources scanty and it's real desire for peace, even at the price of national humiii- ation. But do the facts warrant this view? Certainly Spain has done in the past what it could to maintain its peaceful relations with us. At the time of the demand by Secretary o. ney for payment of the Mora claim the Madrid authorities acquiesced very promptly, being desirous that we should retain our coast patrol rigidly and do what we could to prevent fiji clustering. When the Spanish minis ter at Washington wrote his insulting letter about the president the Sagasta ministry disavowed his act, though it was freely predicted that it would up hold him to the last extremity. And at the time of the recent Lee incident. Spain receded as gracefully as possible before the intimation from Washing ton that the consul general was entire ly satisfactory to the United States.
 But during the last few weeks the Madrid government has not been idle. Many rumors have come to hand of it's endeavors to secure large amounts of money for additional ships and arna- ment. The gun factories have been running over time and the dispatch of more soldiers to Cuba and the Philip pines has attracted the surprised at tention of those who have thought hof hn,- nf o-% must be drained by this time. It is really a great spectacle, this, of a bankrupt, poverty smitten country keeping up it's stream of soldiers to the outposts of it's national domain. The number already sent to Cuba alone is estimated at a quarter of a million and of these disease has perhaps killed more than half; and yet we see new regiments forwarded from Madrid, and no intimation is as yet forthcoming that the supply is exhausted.
 Now the unfortunate nation dis patches a formidable fleet of torpedo boats and destroyers westward What are they for? Are they coming to this
 
 how we'll provided Spain is in this re- gard, and to make friendly visit'' at our principal ports? It is difficult to think that they are intended for patrol duty in Cuban waters They are not efficient vessels, considered in the light of police boats. They are for a more destructive purpose, and we are all of us inclined to ask why they are sent across the Atlantic at this particular time. There is a gen. eral feeling that Spain would rather be driven out of Cuba by the United States than by the insurgents The present dynasty would have great diff ficulty in maintaining itself if Cuba should be freed without intervention from us. But war against the United States in the vain effort to save Cuba would rally all factions for a time. Hatred of the Americans would take the place of loyalty to Alfonso, at least until it was found that the island was irretrievably lost These are some of the reasons why we may be apprehensive that little Spain'' will fight us, if the issue is forced up- on her, rather than evacuate Cuba without a struggle.