The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-10-15
SPAIN CAN'T DO IT.

iterate the statement that if the
United States does not make proper
concessions Spain will resume war.
One day it is said that if the United
States does not assume the payment
of the Cuban debt General Blanco
will reopen hostilities, and that Spain
will fight to the bitter end. Another
day it is reported that if the United
States insists on retaining the Philip
pines Spain will decline to accept
any of the conditions of the protocol,
and will continue the war. All this
is nonsense. Spain can't do it.
The fleet of Spain in the Pacific
ocean was annihilated by Admiral
Dewey. The only effective feet she
had in the Atlantic was destroyed at
Santiago. She has en- active army
in Cuba since the surrender at Santi-
ago of 100000 men. She has in the
Philippines since the surrender OF
Manila an effective army of about
$4,000. She has in Porto Rico,
awaiting transportation to Spain,
about 5000 troops. She has an eff
fective army at home of about 95,-
900. By calling on the first reserves
this can be increased to 100000 By
calling on the second reserves the
Spanish authorities contend that they
could put 100000 men in the field.
But if Spain had the whole Russian
army at her command, we'll organized
and well equipped, she would be
powerless to continue the war, for
she has no navy. She could not send
troops on transports to the Philip
pines, because the American feet in
the Pacific would destroy both trans
ports and troops. She could not send
supplies to her army in Cuba, or re-
enforce it, because our Atlantic fleet
would capture both supplies and
troops.
Moreover, Spain cannot keep an
army of 100000, or even 100000,
in the field, for she has no money to
pay the troops or purchase ammuni
tion and equipments. She in carry
ing a debt of s1,232,912,oo0, and
even in ordinary times her annual
expenditures were $15,000,0e0 more
than her revenues. Since the wal
opened she has increased her expendi-
lures to such an extent that the Bank
OF Spain has become hopelessly in
volved, and the government finds il
almost impossible to place loans al
home or abroad. She has lost the
revenues from Cuba, from the Philip
pines, from Porto Rico. She ha'
spent twice as much money as sht
can force from her people, can bor-
row no more, and is, in fact, bank
rupt. Whatever her ministers ma.
say, Spain will not resume the war
simply because she can't do it.
Bankrupt and without a navy
with a demoralized army and popu
lation on the verge of revolution
Spain must submit The Unlte'
States is not presenting eXorbitan
demands. We are claiming less tha
any other civilized nation woul
claim after such victories as we hav
won. We are exacting no indem
nifty. We demand only terrltor
shat we have conquered. All foreig
nations admit the justice of ou
claims. Not single Europea
power would help spain when sh
was believed to have navy equal t
ours and an army vastly superior
our own. 1t is not possible that an
government will help her now, whe
she has no navy and when her al
mics have been defeated.
Spain is broken, moneyless, help
less, and friendless, and, in such
condition, she will accomplish notl
ing by threatening to resume II
war, because all the world know
that she can't resume it.