The record-union., 1898-04-21
CUBAN RESOLUTION A LAW.
The President AtHxes His Signature
and Sends Ultinatum to Spain.

quiring Spain to evacuate the Island of
Cuba. The ultimatum meanwhile had
been prepared at the State Department
by Assistant Secretary Day, and at
1880 o'clock announcement was made
at the White House that it had been
signed by the President and had been
sent to the Spanish Government
The ultimatum was brought over to
the White House shortly before IL
O'Clock by Assistant Secretary Day,
who went over it with the President
before the latter affixed his signature
After the public announcement Assist
ant Secretary Day said that the ulti-
matum had been transmitted this
morning to Madrid. addressed to Min
lister Woodford, who will deliver it to
the Spanish Government.
AS soon as the final determination to
send it had been reached, and it had
been started on its way to Madrid
Senor Polo y Bernabe, the Spanish Min
lister, in accordance with diplomatic
courtesies, was furnished a copy of the
paper by the colored messenger of AS
sistant Secretary Day The Minister,
as soon as he received it, made a brief
reply, and requested his passports.
III L11MAl u M SlGNED.
AT the Cabinet meeting yesterday af-
ternOon the general features and form
of the ultimatum to be sent to Spain
were agreed upon, and there remained
for this morning only the making of a
fair copy for the Presidents signature
The original draft was made by Assist
ant Secretary Day, and the revised
copy, which was made this morning
under his direction, was laid before
the President about 1920 o'clock.
AT that hour several members of the
Cabinet had called, as we'll as a num-
Der of prominent Senators and mem
bers of the House Among the num-
ber were Secretary Wilson. Attorney
General Griggs, Senators Platt of Con-
necticut, Frye of Maine, Lodge of Mas
sachusetts and Elkins of West Vir-
ginia, and Representatives Cannon of
Illinois and Grosvenor of Ohio. All
were in the Cabinet room nearly at the
same time.
By II o'clock things were livening up
about the upper rooms and offices, and
there were found calls for the Secre-
taries to attend the President in the
Cabinet room. 1t was known that the
question of giving to the press a copy
of the ultimatum as soon as it was
signed was under discussion, but no one
could state whether this would be done
or not. 1t was also stated by some of
the callers on leaving the President
that he would very soon send to the
House of Representatives notice of his
having approved the Cuban resolutions.
and at the same time would lay before
both bodies copies of the Spanish ulti-
matum.
At 11:24 all speculation was brought
to an end by the announcement that
the President had at that moment sign
ed the resolutions of Congress; that the
ultimatUm had been signed some time
before, and that the latter would not
be made public until tomorrow
There We're present in the Cabinet
room when the President signed the
resolutions Secretary Alger, Attorney
General Griggs, Secretary Bliss, Sena-
tor Elkins and Charles Emory Smith.
OF CUBAN RESOLUTIONS
The signing of the Cuban resolutions
by the President was an exceedingly in
teresting event, although without spe-
cial incident. General Alger had
brought over from the War Department
a pen which he requested the President
to use in appending his signature to the
document The pen had an ordinary
guttapercha holder, and as it was
handed to the President by his Secre-
tary, Mr.. Porter, those present gathered
around the table to witness the act.
There was considerable feeling mani
tested by those about, but there was no
demonstration or congratulations The
small crowd very soon dispersed, and
within ten minutes the normal condition
of things at the White House had been
resumed.
Secretary Alger remained with the
President, and as soon as the rush was
over the two took walk in the White
House grounds. returning in less than
an hour.
THE ULTIMATUM.
Although the text of the ultimaaunl
was not made public, it is known that
with it is transmitted to the Spanish
Government through Minister Woodford
a copy of the joint resolutions of Con-
gress, together with the statement that
they have received executive approval.
In compliance with their terms the
President makes q demand upon Spain
to withdraw her land and naval forces
from the island and it's waters. and in
the event that a satisfactory response
to this demand is not received by the
President by Saturday next, he will pro-
ceed with the armed forces of the Uni
ted States to carry these resolutions in
to effect. The President does not name
any hour of the day of Saturday prior
to which Spain must make answer, if
at all, to our demands, but a reasonable
assumption is that any time UP to mid
night Saturday will be regarded as a
compliance with the terms of the ulti-
matum.
One of the members of the Cabinet, in
speaking of this feature, said that the
Government would not hold a stop
watch on Spain in this emergency. and
could we'll afford on our own account to
give her three days to decide question
which may involve the destiny of the
nation.
From this time forward war prepara-
tions will go forward with renewed ac-
tivity, and both the army and the navy
will be put in position for active opera
tions There seems to be little DOUBT
that the first move will be to blockade
one or more of the Cuban ports and as
soon as an army of occupation can be
transported there a demand will be
made for an unconditional surrender,
and in the event of refusal the work
of reducing them by bombardment will
be begun Immediately 1t is not thought
that the assembling of the naval forces