The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-11
An Exigency Which Is Imperative.

An Exigency Which Is Imperative.
The recall by Spain of Minister de
LONE puts an end to the episode of the
Canalejas letter so far as that inter-
esting document personally concerns
the president of the United States. Our
government through it's representative
at Madrid brought to the attention of
the government of Spain the circum-
stance which terminated the accepta-
bility of Senior de LONE az O medium
of communication between the two gov
ernments, and Spain's response was as
prompt as could be expected. 1t is
worthy of note that our government in
it's directions to Minister Woodford re-
ferred solely to Senor de Lome's allu-
sion to the president. That was the
only part of the Canalejas letter Of
which the state department could prop
erly take coGnizance at this time. 1t
involved a deliberate and gratuitous
insult, which President Mckinley
might forgive unofficially but which,
in an official sense, could not properly
be overlooked by him. Up to this point
the incident has developed precisely as
it would have done had the offensive
language been used by the representa-
tive of any other power.
De LONE gone, what next? In the
presidents recent message announce
ment was given of his determination
to allow to the experiment of autonomy
in Cuba a reasonable period of trial,
the pre- sumption being that if the re-
suits Of thai experiment should not
prove satisfactory as portents of
coming peace they would be supple
mented by additional action by this
government, even to the point of Gin
tervention by force" Autonomy was
proclaimed on January l. Under it no
elections have been held; there has
been no cessation of hostilities save
such as have had their origin in Spain's
increasing weakness in the field; and
in the very stronghold of Spanish do
minion in Cuba a large portion of the
Spanish army is held in readiness to
open fire on the remaining portion
should it proceed to fulfill it's threat to
mutiny. Senior de LONE said in his
letter, written two months ago, that
something great would have to happen
in Cuba or Spain's cause would be lost.
Something great has not happened, in
the sense meant by him. Something
great in that sense is not likely to
happen, now that the insurgents have
proved by de Lome's own testimony
the emptiness of the Spanish pretences
with reference to Cuba.
Has, then, "a reasonable time" been
allowed to Spain within the meaning
of the promise in the executives mes
sage? Sufficient time has been allowed
to show that the present offer of au-
tonomy will not bring peace. Suff-
cient time has been allowed to demon
strate to the civilized world that a
continuation of Spanish sovereignty in
Cuba along the present lines would
mean a prolongation of the inhuman-
tiles which have stained the annals of
the past three years, without any de-
crease save that which would come
simply from the gradual depopulation
of the island and the lack of further
material to work on. We believe these
statements are so clearly within the
recognized evidence that close obsery-
ers everywhere will readily subscribe
to them and give to the president of
the United States their hearty moral
sanction in any effort which he NAV
hereafter put forth to bring these hor-
rible conditions to an end
Finally we have the significant fact
that in a memorial presented to the
president on Wednesday $50 Of the lead
ing bankers and merchants of New
York and Philadelphia have petitioned
for intervention in Cuba, thus effect
ually setting at rest the idea that the
honest commercialism of the country
wants this nation to ignore it's inter-
national duties. The memorial sets
forth that in three years, by reason of
the Cuban war, American interests
have sustained a loss exceeding $780,
100000, while if the war shall go on.
our loss will continue at the rate Of
slOO,OO0,000 per annum, to say nothing
of the destruction likely to be wrought
in Cuba itself.
Have we not here case for inter-
Vention complete in every essential de-
tail and one that, in the presidents $
own words, brings with ii "the exl-
gency Of further and other action by
the United States?