Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-03-11
Peaceful Measures


Preparations. i"r N:tr - lraNcly on.
a.''"n-h It L. still rrhI'inatieal
Mt,tn,. SPAN and the United States
VIII com" to closer quarters over the
Maine auI either complications. The
hr~t indication 81 a peaceful solution
Of the matter, W" think. j. IN the IL
yantir Preparations :ur war. Thirteen
iurh guns ~" powerful per-ualor-,
and thr inc,ntilr al nations lartakc
ia lAr-' d,-.,r 70: the temper of thu
individual man. Even bully sab
-!Ic~ when there j. arro>poct "i sever"
punishment ii not utter defeat. What
add, still further to the uncertainty
oi the i-,uc = the untricd nature of
modern war appliances, and the doubt
Il IA whether theoretical anticipatiOns
may be- verified by practical results.
1t Is reported that Impoverished Spain
has all at once shown evidence Of am
pie financial hacking, and that she
has bought two warslips that are I'M
der construction in France for Brazil,
and the Amazonas completed, and
ncr sister ship, still on the stocks, for
the same government, in England.
These are said to be small, but power
full ships, of about 5000 tonnage each,
hat they carry four l0-inch guns in
turrcts and good secondary batteries.
As their coal capacity is small, they
are better fitted for coast defense than
other service.
Uncle Sam is by no means idle.
Every plant for the manufacture of
war appliances is running night and
day, and extraordinary efforts are be-
ing made to bring naval and land de-
lenses up to the highest state of per-
lection. Congress hes appropriated
$50, 600, 900 for national defense. Part
OF this appropriation will go towards
purchase of warships abroad. Eight
men-of-war have been offered our Gov
ernment, and representatives Of the
Navy Department have been sent, by
order OF the President, to negotiate for
their purchase, or to secure an option,
as circumstances may warrant
The question arises whether or not
these purchases should be made with
out delay, as after declaration of
war, the neutrality policy might pre-
vent the sale of ships or munitions of
war. These vessels have been built
for other governments which are I'M
able to pay for them, and this fact af-
fords an ample explanation of their
sale, in time of peace, to a cash GUS
toner. Three of these, under con-
struction in Germany, are said to be
powerful battleships built for the Chi
nese empire.
A Madrid dispatch, by the way of
London, says that the contrast between
the clamor in America and the calm
ness of the Spanish people is marked.
The general opinion is that the United
States dare net make suspicion,
(which is unsupported by evidence
and abhorrent to European opinion"
the pretext for war.
The request for the recall of Gen.
Lee, the Epocha, sober-minded con-
servative paper believes to be founded
upon precisely the grounds which led
to the resignation of DeLome, the
Spanish minister, at Washington.
The relations of Gen. Lee with the in
surrectionists make his retention in
Havana prejudicial to good relations
between Spain and the United States.
There is some force in both these
suggestions, but it cannot be denied
that they create a state of feeling
which is likely to provoke at any mo-
ment acts which may constitute casus
beNi.
UNRELIABLE NEws.-If anybody ex-
poets to form correct opinion on the