The evening times., 1898-05-13
SPAIN INWILLCOMET ETOTERMs
Government Of the D,ns Must
Submit to Americas Will.
CHANGES IN THE MINISTRY
The Cabinet Ii Settling Its Accounts.
and Seniors Moret. Gullon and Ber-
mej6 Are to Retire-The New Min
listers VIII Enter Upop Peace Me-
ROtfations.

Madrid, May 13-Although the cabinet
crisis Is not yet officially announced, there
is no longer a shadow of doubt that 1t
exists and Is very acute. for the govern
ment is, and has been for several days,
one In name only.
1t is in the position of retiring part
nership. the accounts being balanced and
all the tangled threads of the business
being brought into order. and plans for
future financial operations of the firm
perfected.
This will occupy very little time Within
probably a couple of days the guidance
of Spain's destinies will be turned over,
II not entirely to fresh hands. at any
rate. to a ministry that will contain at
least three new members.
That is to say. every one is convinced
that nothing is to be gained by the re-
tirement of Senor Sagasta from the po-
sition of president of the council, while
It is of vital Importance that Senors
Moret. Gullon and Bermeio he replaced
in the portfolios of the colonies. foreign
affairs and marine.
Who will succeed them in their respec-
1--WE pOSlS ID sun opcu " quCStioh II 3D.
however. almost certain that the colonial
minister will be taken from among Senior
Gamazo's immediate followers. with the
object of consolidating the liberal party
and gaining for the government the most
united support possible that 1t can OBJ
tain in the country. where there are well
nigh as many political parties as senators
and deputies
Whoever will be selected to fill the six
do -f-A,ra
ist, the governments strength will be ma
terially greater than it could possibly have
been had Senor Sagasta succeeded in
avoiding the crisis. Indeed, changes in
the cabinet If not altogether of the gov
ernment. was a necessity in the present
state of Spanish affairs
No ministry that included Seniors Moret
and Gullon could possibly enter upon ne
gotiations for peace with America On the
basis of the cession of Cuba and Porto
Rico, which the new cabinet will do i'm
mediateiy II is formed. The Importance.
therefore. to America of the political Sit
uation here is manifest and no secret.
Senor Gullon was one of the stumbling
blocks in the way of peaceful solution of
the question at issue between America
and Spain even before war was declared.
His removal became imperative from the
moment the Manila disaster made IL clear
that to carry on a warlike policy any fur
ther meant ruin to Spain.
As the man most closely identified with
the scheme or an autonomous Cuba, Sc
nor Moret could not possibly retain Office
after the failure of his scheme to secure
that peace which he claimed II would be
the only means of obtaining. 1t will be a
long time before his countrymen forgive
his phrase. Autonomy means peace
His retirement, therefore, is also a neces-
sity-
sponsible. In the public mind, or his lack
of foresight which led to the defeat ut
Manila, for his retention in a remodeled
cabinet to be even considered.
These three changes, therefore, are log
fcally certain to be made. The authority
for the statement is one of the most
prominent statesmen at the present juno
ture. In the course of a converse ton
yesterday. in which he gave a lucid expo
sition of the subject, he said:
1T would be idle to deny that the gov
ernment-no matter from which party it
is drawn-must devote its energies to re-
establishing peaceful relations with the
United States. The war cannot be pro-
longed- Even should Spain win naval
engagement in the Antillian waters, it
would only make matters more desperate
by wounding American amour propre
while should she lose 1t the terms the
United States would ask as the price of
concluding peace would be only the more
severe.
This all parties-no matter of what no.
litical color-are agreed upon. The only
thing, therefore. left for Spain to do is to
try to secure peace upon the most favor
able terms possible now. AS every dec
laration of President Mckinley has been
dictated with the avowed object of secur-
ing the independence of Cuba and Porto
Rico. the most responsible men here are
convinced that to fight any longer would
be folly, while peace might be secured and
the Philippines retained by giving up
Spain's possessions in the Antilles.
Il may add that it is pretty generally
known that Senior Moret advised this
step as long ago as April 20. upon the
very eve of the virtual declaration of
war, when Spain broke off diplomatic re-
lations with the United States.
Much progress has been made since
then. in the realization of the grave dan
ger Spain is in. At that time it is prob
able that not single member of Sagasta's s
cabinet. with the exception of Senior Mo-
ret himself. would have even discussed
such a solution of the problem. Now, and
only three weeks later. the ministry is
said to be looking upon it as the only sat
isfactory one possible