The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-27
SPAIN TOO WEAK FOR A SCRAP.
LONDON's VIEW OF THE CRISIS AT
THE PRESENT STAGE.

OmciaI of the Foreign OGice Thinks
Preservn ton of the Peace Depends
on Temper Spain Displays When
Notification of Intervention Is
Given-HOpe of the European
ChnnceIlOries.
Special London Gable Letters Copyright,
1898, by the Associated Press.
London, March 26.-Although public
opinion on this side of the Atlantic, as in
America, had already discounted the find
Ing of the United States court of inquiry
into the loss of the Maine, and actual
confirmation was expected, the verdict
only served to whet peoples appeutes.
So intense is the interest In the latest
turn of the Kaleidoscope that it has inn
measurably increased the nervous tension
which has been agitating Europe for the
last three months. There is little hope
here that hostilities can be averted,
though ii is stnl regarded as possible that
Spain, at the last moment, Will see the
hopelessness of maintaining her position,
and yield to the inevitable.
1t is at last realized here that the
movement to end the Cuban scandal is no
longer in the hands of the jingoes: but
that the solid sentiment of the United
States bids the executive to act when the
proper moment arrives; that the risks
have been estimated, and that the great
body of Americans are ready to face them.
So far as it IS possible to ascertain the
general diplomatic opinion it can be
summed up In the words of foreign office
official. who remarked: THE preservation
of peace depends upon the temper Spain
displays when the inevitable notification is
delivered. The President proposes to re-
lieve the sufferers by distributing food,
clothes and medicines from American war
ships and transports, precisely as Great
Britain is now uno1cially. and on small
er scale, doing in Crete. and unless Spain
pockets her overweening conceit which
has hitherto made the recognition of her
failure impossible to her, a rupture must
come from that quarter and Spains preten-
sions of preparedness for war, and her
financers assurance that she has sufficient
funds, are equally untenable unless the
latter contemplates the suspension of spe-
Gle payment and payment Of the interest of
| the debt in paper The truth is that Spain
is no more In a position to fight the
| United States than was Greece to fight
| Turkey. The one great hope of the Euro
pean chancellerles Is that the President
will defer his action on the explosion un-
til under this guise of autonomy arrange
ments may be made to facilitate spain's
giving up Cuba. The suggestion of the con-
tinental press of Intervention upon the part
of the European powers Is mischievous and
nothing is more certain to provoke hostil-
| tiles"
According to Madrid advices the papers
there. are whistling loudly trying to arouse
a sense of wrong, with the doctrine that
war de facto was declared when the
United States permitted support 70 be
furnished to the insurgents"
| Mystery mongerlhg is stlll the chief
| stock in trade of the foreign office; but its
big words and apparently craven actions
no longer satisfy the public, and Conserv-
atives and Liberals are equally alarmed
at the apparent failure of British diplom-
acy in China, where Great Britain's open
door, has been slammed In her face. I'M
less the government, early in the week,
clearly outlines its position, 1t will prob
ably be compelled to take the country into
its confidence by a motion for the ad-
journment of the House of Commons,
which many Unonists will support.