New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-03
HOPE FOR PEACE NOT GONE.
A CALMER TONE PREVAILING.
PRESIDENT MKINLEY'S MESSAGE MAY
ALLAY EXCITEMENT.
THE POPULAR IMPULSE URGING CONGRESS- TO
WAR APPARENTLY UBsIDING-PUBLICATIoN
or THE FULL. CORRESPONDENCE WITH
SPAIN ALSO LIKELY TO HAVE
4 PACIFYING EFFECT.
rBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l

SPAIN ALSO LIKELY TO HAVE
A PAcIFYING EFFECT
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
Washington. April Though much alarmist
talk is still heard to-day about the impossbty
Of avoiding a declaration Of hostilities with
Spain. the drift Of soberer opinion here has all
been toward calmer balancing Of the reasons
for and against immediate action on the part
of the United States and consequent CROWN
Of confidence that after all the two houses or
I Congress now supposed to be the centre Of dis
satisfaction with the slow processes and meagfe
fruits Of diplomacy. will not force the Admins
tratlon and the country over the brink or war
until the necessity for that extreme step Is luiy
and overwhelmingly established.
/ WAIT FOR THE FULL CORRESPONDENCE.
Tha, the popular impulse which since Monday
/ last has been driving the two branches OF Con
gress toward vioen, rupture with Spain has
in a measure spent its initial force seems beyond
question and certain developments Of yesterday
and to-day make II extremely likely that the
/ sober second thought both OF Congress and OF
the country will not find in the diplomatic ex-
/ changes to be given TO the world next week
and In the Presidential Message which accom-
/ panies them that excitement to immediate
hostile action for which the clamor raised IN
] certain quarters over the outcome OF the re-
/ cent negotiations with Spain has prepared the
/ American public.
/ For whatever may be said Of the inadequate
| and unsatisfactory character Of the terms OF
/ Cuban pacincation offered by the Spanish cab
| met the availability OF the Spanish answer as
a casus belt can be judged only by compar-
son with the demands made on the Sagasta
! Ministry and by the whole spirit and tone re-
N,fz nod -
conditions on which civil order and stable ad-
ruinlstration are 10 be restored in unhappy Cuba.
II will not be entirely clear until all the corre-
I spondence IS published and considered by Con-
cress whether the reply Of Thursday last should
I 10 held - end definitely all hope Of accom-
/ prshing the purposes which this country Is sup
/ posed 20 have AT heart in dealing with the
/ Cuban question.
EFFECT OF DECLARING WAR AT ONCE.
But even n this conclusion Is established IN
/ tho mind Of the legislative branch. it does not
| follow that Il should or will he made the oc-
/ ca-sion of an immediate declaration OF hostili-
ties. Such a declaration. made next week.
would have many effects entirely undesirable
! from an American point OF view. For year
I pas, tho agitation for warke Intervention in
cuba has bccn based chiefly on the necessity
/ q ending the horrors of recommendation. Sub
! stantlal progress has been made IN the way OF
! relieving the su~erings Of the non-combatant
popglst n. and there is an excellent prospect
+ mat witnln six weeks they may be settled
, o.ain on their abandoned farms An immediate
! declaration ~ war would cause the confscation
FOR the use of tho Spanish troops ot all the sup
/ plies still unconsumei contributed by the peo-
pie of this country FOR distribution among the
/ rcconcentrados. II would end at once the work
/ OF the American Red Cross Society among those
| helpless sufferers and result In a similar con
version ot all the supplies collected through its
agency 10 Spanish military purposes. And final
| Is. I; would practically neutralize the benefits
! or the humane policy about to be put in opera
] tiOn for the preservation OF the non-combatant
population. and expose them again to the raw
ages OF starvation and disease. II there ever
was any strength In the humanitarian argument
| IN favor of armed Intervention 20 end the
rn,serics inflicted on the reconcertrados. states
men who used 4: can apply II with equal en-
! phas,s 70 stave oT declaration Of war now
The United States. too. by an immediate dec
laraticn OF war would lose possession and con-
troll Of the war material II has collected and is
still trying to collect IN foreign countries The
cruiser Albany. purchased from Brazil. would
! have to be left IN bond I'm England and options
! on military and naval supplies worth millions OF
| dollars anc Of invaluable advantage I'm case Of
ultimate hostilities would become invalid be-
cause sold on contraband Of war. Most urgent
reasons for Immediate action would certainly
| have TO be adduced to Offset considerations
pointing so clearly to the inexpedieucy OF undue
haste
ONE CAUSE FOR HASTE REMOVED.
The announcement. too. that the much dread
ed Spanish torpedo feet arrived yesterday az
the Cape de Verde Islands. instead Of at Porto
| Rico removes too one OF the most urgent mill
tary arguments for speedy action. the tor
pcdo squadron is still over two thousand miles
from its supposed destination and cannot reach
Porto Rico. II really bound for that island. In
side The next ten days or two weeks. Some ref
erence to all OF these conditions IL expected To
be made when the Spanish correspondence IL
| laid before Congress next Tuesday; for Tuesday
ls now put az the earliest date on which the
President can transmit 1t with his own Mes
sage 20 the two houses.
There are still some officials OF high standing
who In spite OF the determination reached by
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to-day
TO report next Monday IN favor OF Intervention
by force I'm Cuba and other similar signs OF the
belligercnt temper Of Congress. still cling to the
hope that the Spanish reply VIII not be inter-
preted as ending all efforts to restore order and
tranquility In Cuba by peaceful means
BUSINESS MEN LEAVE HAVANA
BANKERS AND MERCHANTS LEAVE THE CUBAN
CITY IN A HURRY.
Key West Fla. April THE steamer Mas
cote from Havana. which arrived tonight
brought n dozen or more French and English
bankers and merchants. who had LETT CUBA
undor telegraphic instructions from the houses
they represent In their respective countries The
urgency Of their instructions was such that no