The Press., 1898-06-02
Washington Letter.
washington, May 30, 1898.

Washington, May 90, 1S9S.
 Commander Schley has that Spanish fleet bottled up in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba. The invasion of Cuba can be proceeded with, as it has been definitely decided and officially announced that the invasion was not to be postponed minute longer than is considered absolutely necessary to ensure the safety from capt. ure by Spanish warshlps of the transports that will carry our soldiers. The trans ports to carry 25,OOO or 8O,OOO men are ready and waiting, and many men through ly equipped for service are at the points of authorization ready to start.
 That Americans are tolerant is well known. It also well known that the senti- ment of the country was overwhelmingly in favor of the annexation of Hawaii, even before 1t had been declared by the admini- stration to be military necessity. Should the pressure of European governments compel Hawaii to declare neutrality and to refuse to allow our ships bound to and from the Philippine Islands to coal at Honolulu, while the question of annex ating Hawaii is hung up in congress by combination of the power of the sugar trust lobby, personal spite, and political spleen, not even the habitual tolerance of Americans will preventthe political punish ment of those responsible. Should no trouble arise on account of the minority hold up in congress that is now on, the parts played by individuals in the hold up will soon be forgotten by the people, not withstanding the present use of such words as traitors" and treason" An amend ment to the war revenue bill providing for annexation has been offered by Senator Lodge. It will be pushed or not accord ing to what Speaker Reed does. If he al- lows the house to vote on the annexation resolution-he has partly promised to do so-the amendment will be withdrawn; if not, 1t will be pushed to vote, regard less of the delay 1t may cause in disposing of the war revenue bill. President Me- Kinley has intimated very plainly that un- less congress acts at once he intends to seize Hawaii as a war measure. There precedents for such action.
 Senator Teller always has positive opinions, and they are usually interesting. Of the war he said in 8 short speech "Those who ought to know estimate that the present war will cost $500, 1000, ,000 if il be prosecuted one year. It ought not tC last year it will not last year. It is not war of conquest, but 8 war of human. ity. However, since we have taken the Philippines we ought to hold them until ! some decision can be reached as to their disposition. We ought to take every foot of Spanish soil, outside of Spain itself whether 1t be in this hemisphere or in the other. We ought, I believe, to drive the the Spanish flag from the waters of both Gorman's statement in a speech on the war revenue bill, that unless that bill authorizes an issue of bonds, the presi. dent will issue bonds under the same law tion of 1975-is regarded as one of the most significant that has been made during the senate debate on that bill. Al though Senator German is democrat, he has enjoyed the confidence of President Mckinley and has been called on for ad vice constantly since the war troubles be- gan; consequently his statement is re- garded as an official notification that the administration intended to issue bonds tc raise the money needed to carry on the war, whenever, in Its judgement, itmight become necessary, regardless of the action of the senate on the war revenue bill. II is still very positively asserted that g majority of the senate will vote fol bonds, and it is hoped that the final vote will be reached this week, but anti-annexatior senators say it will never be reached un. less the Lodge annexation amendment is defeated or withdrawn. That is an ex. tIeme view, but the matter has unquestion. ably been complicated by theintroductior of the annexation question.