Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-04-21

way 10 some form OF honorable settlement
The assassination OF the prime minister, Cano
vass, led 10 change Of government in Spain
The former administration pledged 10 subju
CATION without concession gave place 10 that o
more liberal party, committed long In nd
vance TO policy Of reform involving the wide
principle OF home rule for Cuba and Puort
Rico The overtures OF this government mad
through It's new envoy, Gen. Woodford an'
looking TO an Immediate and effective amelorla
tiOn OF the condition OF the island. although no
accepted 10 tho extent OF admitted mediation
In any shape were met by assurances una
home rule In an advanced phase, would b
| forthwith offered to Cuba. without waiting To-
the war TO end, and that more humane method
should thenceforth prevail in the conduct o
hostllites incidentally with these declara-
lions, the new government Of Spain continued
and completed the policy already begun by IN
predecessor OF testifying friendly regard fol
this nation by releasing American citizens
held under one charge or another connected
with the Instruction, so that, by the end OIL
November. not a single person entitled In any
way TO our national protection, remained In Q
Spanish prison
Tho Starving Cubans Fed.
While these negotiations were In progress
the increasing destitution OF the unfortunate
reconcentrados and the alarming mortality
among them claimed earnest attention, The
success which had attended the limited meas
ure OF relief extended TO the suffering Ameri-
can citizens among them by the iudlciOus ex-
pendlturo through the consular agencies Of the
money appropriated expressly for their succor
by the joint resolution approved May a.
1907 prompted the humane extension Of
! q similar scheme OF aid to the
great body Of sufferers A suggestion to
this end was acquieSoed in by the Spanish au-
thOrltles On the 9th Of December last ]
caused to be issued an appeal to the American
people, inviting contributions In money or in
kind for the succor OF the starving sufferers in
Cuba; following this on the 9Th OF January by
u similar public announcement Of this forma-
ton OF u central Cuban relief committee,
with headquarters in New York city, COM
posed OF three members representing the
American national Red Cross and the religious
and business elements Of the community The
efforts Of that committee have been untiring
and have accomplished much. Arrangements
for free transportation to Cuba have greatly
aided the charitable work The president Of
the American Red Cross and representatives
OF other contributory organizations have gen.
erously visited Cuba and co-operated with the
consul general and the local authorities to
make effective distribution of the relief collect
Nearly f2OO,00J In money and supplies has al
ready reached the sufferers and more is forth
coming. The supplies are admitted duty
free, and transportation to the interior has
been arranged, so that the relief at
first necessarily confined to Havana and
the larger cities, is now extended through most,
II not all, OF the towns where suffering exists
Thousands OF lives have already been saved
The necessity for change In the condition OF
the reconcentrados Is recognized by the Span
lsh government Within few days past the
orders Of Gen Weyler have been revoked the
reconcentradOs are, 1t Is said, to be permitted
to return TO their homes and aided to resume
the self-supporting pursuits OF peace; public
works having been ordered to give thom en-
ployment and sum OF sGJO, 900 has been appro-
priated for their relief.
The war In Cuba Is Of such nature that
short OF subjugation or determination u final
military victory for either side seems imprac-
ticable, The alternative lies in the physical
exhaustion OF the one or the other party, or
perhaps Of both-a condition which, in effect,
ended the ten years war by the truce OF Fan
jon. The prospect Of such o protrnction and
conclusion Of the present strife is a contingency
hardly to be contemplated with equanimity by
the civilized world, and least OF all by the
United States, affected and injured as we are,
deeply and intimately by its very existence.
Propositions Submitted to the spanish.
Realizing this II appears to be my duty, In o
spirit OF true friendllness, no less to Spain than
to the Cubans who have so much TO lose by the
prolongatlOn OF the struggle, to seek to bring
about an immediate termination OF the war TO
this end, submitted, on the eth ultimo, as q
result Of much representation and correspond
ence, through the United States minister Mt
Madrid nrnpOgftfOuu In N oh
ment, looking to an armistice until October t.
for the negotiation Of peace with the good Of
fees OF the president In addition, asked the
immediate revocation Of the order of reconcen-
tration, so as to permit the people to return to
their farms and the needy TO be relieved with
provisionsand supplies from the United States
cooperating with the Spanish authorities so
as TO afford full relief.
The reply of the Spanish cabinet was re-
ceived on the night OF the 3lst ultimo 1t Of
fers, us the means to bring about peace In
Cuba, to conhde TIE preparation thereof to the
fnsular department, inasmuch as the concur
renee Of that body would be necessary to reach
final result it being, however, understood
that the powers reserved by the constitution to
the central government are not lessened or di-
minlshed AS the Cuban parliament does not
meet until the 4th Of May next the Spanish
government would not object. for its part to
accept ut once n suspension OF hostilities, IL
asked for by the insurgents from the general
ln-chlef to whom 1t would pertain, In such
case to determine the duration and conditions
OF the armlstice
The propositions submitted by Gen. Wood
ford and the reply Of the Spanish government
we're both In the form of brief memoranda,
the texts Of which are before me, and are sub
stantially In the language above given. The
function Of the Cuban parliament In the matter
of preparing" peace and the manner OF doing
SO are not expressed in the Spanish memo
randum; but from Gen. Woodfords explana-
tory reports Of preliminary discussions proceed
ing the final conference 1t is understood that
the Spanish government stands ready to give
the insular congress full powers to settle the
terms OF peace with the insurgents, whether
by direct negotiation or indirectly by means Of
legislation does not appear With this last
overtures In the direction OF immediate peace
and its disappointing reception by Spain the
executive was brought to the end Of his effort
What Was Said in the Last Message.
In my annual message of December last l
said: "Of the untried measures there remain:
Recognition OF the insurgents as belligerents
recognition OF the independence OF Cuba;
neutral intervention to end the war by
imposing rational compromise between
the contestants and Intervention in favor
OF one or the other party" speak not
of forclble annexation, for that cannot be
thought OF. That, by our code of morality,
would be criminal aggression Therefore, re-
viewed these alternatives, In the light OF Presl-
dent Grants measured words, uttered in 1873,
when, after seven years of sanguinary. destruc-
tive and cruel barbarities In Cuba he reached
the conclusion that the recognition OF the in
dependence of Cuba was impracticable and in
hnfnnsihla. TINT the rnrnrn linn Of ,llinarnnce