The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-23
Remarkable Optimism of Londcn
Financiers, Who Didn't Believe
There Would De Any War.
WHEAT AND BREAD HIGHER
ENGLISH TRADE INJURED ny THE
BLOCKADE OF CUBA.
Comments of the Daily AMI WeeIkly
Newspapers-Many Applications
for Enlistment.

l
pathy for America is like Spanish diplom-
acy, officially correct. There is scarcely a
public man or important newspaper that
does not warmly support the United States.
At the same time in private conversation
| there is much criticism of the United States
and Endorsement of Spain is heard. There is
much head-shaNng over the result of the
naval battle, and the feeling even finds it's
| way into print.
The Daily Graphic to-day printed long
! letter from a naval officer who says both
| Porto Rico and Havana ought to be able
| to hold their own against attack, I'M
supported by ships. The United States will
be forced to blockade both of these islands,
| and this, the author of the letter thinks
will occupy that nations entire fleet, thus
| leaving the Spaniards free to lombard the
coast of the United States. Again the let
| ter says Spain is strong enough to defeat
either of the bockadng fleets which the
United States is able to assemble about
| Cuba and Porto Rico. In conclusion the
writer thinks that the ships of the Indiana
class are so prodigiously overgunned that
they are likely to sink themselves.
An editorial article in the Chronicle to-
day expressed the opinion that the United
States fleet was throwing away an excellent
strategic opportunity by going to Cuba,
instead of intercepting the Spanish fleet.
The Daily News to-day also contained an
editorial article saying that the Amer
leans hardly know what they are fighting
for" and that lit is an open question
| whether the freedom of Cuba could not be
obtained without recourse to war;
| The Daily Mail whose proprietor, AL
fred Harmsworth, is really a warm SYM
pathizer with the United States, is doing
much to arouse public sentiment by the
daily publication of articles bearing upon
| the atrocities perpetrated by Spaniards, ac-
companied by pictures of the starving re-
concentrates, under the heading why
America is Intervening in Cuba" with the
Kipling parody IF blood be the price of
liberty, Lord God, we have paid the bill"
At the same time. the Daily Mail to-day
displays a New York dispatch with the
heading Scare in America-New York Mer-
chants Closing Their Shops The dispatch
says that many wealthy New Workers are
neelng, fearing that the fleet of the United
bombarded.
One Of the strangest features of the war
developments is the remarkable optimism of
the city financiers who, until the actual
sailing OF the United States fleet, tena-
ciously chung to the deluson daily reiterated
in Lombard street that there would be no
war Despite the practical evidence supplied
by the steady drop in Spanish consols.
eter of events, the elimination of negotia-
tons to the off-breaking point was SO often
deferred that the merchants came to believe
that the United States unwilling to
carry us championship of Cuba to the eX-
tent of fighting. Continental Europe stead
States is embarking in war for anv object
other than conquest. Being prone to judge
American motives by standards other than
appear to actuate their own national pol
icies, the continental papers predict with
the greatest jealously that the United
states Will retain all the Spanish colonies,
which It will inevitably capture, and that
the United States will then become one of
me strongest rivals in the world scramble
d3r me lew remaining unoccupied portions
OF the earth. All opinions and interviews
contained in the press Of continental Eu-
rope, read between the lines, convey this
The first effect of the war was felt in
Great Britain in the rise in wheat which
mas peen the means of inducing the bakers
10 70 ulscuss an advance in the price of the
iouT-pound loaf. Many English farmers are
holding under. their sheds wheat, hopeful
that the prolonged hostiIities NAV send
grain up to the Franco Prussian war nricas
Liverpool and Manchester trade with the
west Indies has been knocked on the head
sal! for Cuba and Porto Rico. Two ships
Whlch were billed to sail from Liverpool on
s SattinTiaay have Cancelled their departure in
OF Cuba. Shippers find solacc in the pros
pect that the war will result in ending the
strongly differential tariffs in favor of Bar
celona, which have been enforced on all
Spanish colonies.
Tho London weeklies devote a great
amount of space to the war a large major
Ivy or them expressing sympathy with the
United States. The Spectator SAYS: LAS
nation nation the the Americans stand apsolved of en-
easily
The Speaker says: '"rhere cannot be anv
doubt that the United States are wagine a
war for good end; and the Americans must
enjoy our best wishes for their ultimate
The statist says: "The sooner Spain
comes, to terms the better for herself. The
United States will need large loans, but the
securities will be freely taken in Europe at
a moderate rate of interest if Congress-
makes them redeemable in god.''
The Saturday Review alone strikes dis
cordant note in its sarcastic comments upon
Presidents reference to the moral sense
of Americans
United States Ambassador HAY is so over
whelmed with applications for enlistment in
the. American forces that he has sent a
sibiity of enrolling volunteers on this side
of the Atlantic in view of the enlistment
act. Colonel Hay has received intimation
that the Spanish officials in London are
quietly enrolling volunteers If this is con-
frmed no intends to notify the British gov
Rear Admiral Lord Charles Reresford
who commanded the Condor at the bonn
bardment of alexandra in 1882. was lord
commissioner of the admiralty in 1856 and
is now Conservative member of ParIia-
ment for York, admits, in the course of an
interview, tndC IN the long run America
will be victorious. He thinks the fleets about
equally matched and that the greatest diff
ficulty that the Americans will have 10 con
tend with is the yehow jack They would
not have much Si trouble in landing troops
In Cuba in his judgment, because of the
lieves the fighting will be mainly confined
to Cuba and Cuban waters he is confident
1t will be much more protracted than MANY
people imagine Commander C,r1ItchIey
royal navy. expresses substantially tie
same opinion.
Almos> an Alliance.
NEW YORK, April PA nnnuriehted