New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-01
STRAIN >ON OFFICIALS.
MANY 1yrTERANCEs IN HAVANA WHICH
WOULD NOT BE MADE IN
CALMER MOMENTS.
ANXIoUsLY AWAITING REsULTs-INrERNAL COM
PIIcATIoN WHICH CANNOT BE CLEARED
AWAY BY THE COURTS REPORT
-AuToNoMYs FAILURE
SEEMS ASSURED.
[BY rELEGRAPH TO THE rRiBUNE.J

[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRiBuNEJ
Havana, Feb. -. via Tampa. Fla. Feb %
Officials OF the Government are praying Tor re-
lief from a strain which they cannot endure
much longer. 1t is not encouraging when ohi-
GERS of high rank in the Army, who depore the
Maine catastrophe as deeply and as sincerely as
do the American people, Reg to demand that IL
the United States intends to make the dis
aster a cause for going to war 1t shall do SO
quickly.
These expressions do not represent the settled
convictions OF those by whom they are Ut
tered. They are the utterances of men over
burdened with anxiety and uncertainty In
their calmer moments these officers would be
the first to accept the mediation OF the United
States the best means for helping Spain
out OF her desperate situation In Cuba. Under
the present strain they do not accept It. lhey
complain that the thorough and comprehensive
investigation which the Naval Court or IN
qulry is making is too slow. and they profess 10
believe that instead OF impartial investigation
10 learn the facts the Court is seeking to make
out case of foul play. These are representa-
tives of the military arm Of the Government
who do not believe anything OF the kind: they
only talk to relieve their overburdened minds
II the clouds which the Maine disaster has
thrown over the relations Of Spain and the
United States were cleared away the internal
complications would not be lessened. The loss
Of the American warship and its crew had moth
ing to do with the series OF minor military sue
cesses which the insurgents are gaining In all
parts Of the Island. That is due to the democrat
ization Of the Spanish troops. Gomez keeps al
most within range OF the railroad and the tele-
graph in Santa Clara Province. He could not
do so II Spain were able to carry on an effective
mists' Cabinet is another thing with which the
United States has nothing to do.
Tho crisis is not a dangerous one because
Gown and his radical colleagues have the secret
support Of the Sagasta Ministry. Galvez Mon
toro and Seayas. who are all that remain OF the
conservative Autonomists, may not indorse the
plan TO open negotiations with the insurgents
and TO offer Gomez a place in the Cuban Gov
eminent but their designations are not expected
The Sagasta Ministry approves the scheme OF
making further concessions to the insurgents.
and with this knowledge members OF the Au-
economist Cabinet who dlsapprove It are likely
to be passive. The Junta in New-York has AL
ready rejected the propositions That Is not so
important as the population OF them which
will come from Gomez Then nothing will re-
main for the Government of Spain except to con-
Tess the failure OF autonomy. and more than
autonomy, to restore peace and save her SOW
ereignty in Cuba This confession cannot await
the election of the Cortes in April. In these
conditions that war with the United States
shoald be preferred to mediation seems incred-
ible. but the utra-loyal populace wants war;