The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-13

the intentions OF the TfeSlueHl on lHe
Spanish situation do not believe he
will send any message to Congress un-
til after the report of the naval board
has been received and the court has
left Havana and is safe on American
soil. One of the best posted men in
the Senate yesterday outlined what he
thought would be the policy of the
President. This senator is so near to
the President and so prominent a MEM
Der of the committee that has to do
with our foreign relations that his
views, although given in an impersonal
way, are worthy of the careful con-
sideration of the American people.
L am prepared" this senator said,
weighing his every word with exceed
ing care, Ito say that the peace
at any price policy does not fasci-
nate the President. The President
is for peace if peace can be had
with honor to the United States,
of war alone can the dignity of the
Government over which he presides be
maintained. President Mckinley has
been giving this serious question a con-
sideration that Will commend him to
the people of this whole country and
want to say right in this connection
that what he does will meet with the
c6mmendation of the people when they
have learned how he has dealt with it.
Il do not" continued this senator,
look Tor any message until after the
Court of Inquiry has made it's report
to the President. The President does
not intend to arouse the people of this
country or infiame them any more than
they are now infiamed unless Spain
commits some overt act, until the time
is ripe for him to speak in no uncer-
tain tones"
The senator who made this statement
made it within half an hour after an
interview he had With the President.
and it is not unfair to assume that in
his remarks he reflected some of the
ideas he absorbed ia his talk with the
President. Continuing he said: Il do
not profess to speak for the President,
but | am willing to prophesy that Mr..
Mckinley will not send any message
to Congress until the whole case is
made up and he knows just what pos
sible result may grow out of anything
he may say TO Congress. When that
message does go to Congress it will
contain suggestions the force of which
no man can gainsay, and out of which
no man can safely predict what may
come" ~.
viii it be for war or peace?" the
senator was asked.
That" said he, ''is a question Con-
gress must answer. The President is
ready to meet the issue. If Spain
forces it to a conclusion by some overt
act war will result within a very short
time, possibly, but no effort of the
President will be spared to avert war
If war is an inevitable result, then wal
will be accepted and the United States
will enter it fully prepared and with
the consciousness that it has its quar-
rel just and is ready to meet Spain
and fight the battle to the end. Of one
thing this country may rest assured
There must be an end to the present
barbarities in Cuba, and there must be
a civilized condition of affairs in that
island or this Government Will go tc
war to force Spain to evacuate the
island or give the Cubans such a gov.
ernment as viii be tolerated by the ma
tfons of the world living under the
| code which actuates human conduc
| today"
What, then. would be the first steI
| in forcing Spain to agree to such a con.
cIusion?" this member of the committee
was asked.
Il have every reason to believe" thi:
senator said in reply to this query
| that the report of our naval boarC
now engaged in investigating tn,
causes which led to the destruction o
the battleship Maine will show tha
the destruction of that magnificen
ship was due to causes entirely outsid,
| the ship itself If such a report il
made to the President he will accept i
as proof convincing and the American
people will agree with him. 1 hay
doubted the wisdom of waiting for tn
final report of the court. If l wer
| IIeSlueIl SIloulu nave insisted upO!
daily abstracts of the work of tn
court, but the President has no
deemed this the proper way to dea
with the subject That is question o
detail, however, which cannot detrac
from the final result. With that Yer
dict before him, asserting, as ninety
nine men in every hundred in this coun
| - hu
blown up through the agency of som
outside influence, the President will de
mand reparation, and it will then re
main for Spain to say what reply sha
be made to that demand"
''Will that reparation be a money in
demnity for the loss of the battleshi
and the lives of the men or somethin