The San Francisco call., 1898-04-12
President Mckinley Asks Congress for Authority to Intervene With Arms for
 the Restoration of Peace in Cuba.

borders, is justiAable on national grounds.
 It involves however, hostile constraint upon both the parties to the contest, as we'll to enforce truce as to guide the eventual settlement.
 The grounds for such intervention may be briefly summarized as follows:
 First-In the cause of humanity to put an ed to the barbarities, bloodshed, starvation and horrible miseries now existing there, and which the parties to the conflict are either unable or unwilling to stop or mitigate. It is no answer to say this is all in another country, belonging to another nation, and is therefore none of our business. It is expressly our duty, for it is right at our door.
 Second-We owe it to our citizens in Cuba to afford them that protec- tion and indemnity for life and property which no government there can or will afford, and to that emu terminate the conditions that de- prive them of legal protection.
 Third-1he right to intervene may be justified by the very serious in jury to the commerce, trade and business of our people and by the wanton destruction of property and devastation of the island.
 Fourth and which is of the utmost importance = The present condi- tion of affairs in Cuba is constant n, apaca fo o,1r ,,aoco opd apfoi1s ,,ro,, this Government an enormous ex- pense. With such a conflict waged for years in an island so near us and with which our peopls have such trade and business relations-when the lives and liberty of our citizens are In constant danger and their property destroyed and themselves ruined-where our trading vessels are liable to seizure and are seized at our very door by warships of a foreign nation, the expeditions of flibustering that we are powerless to prevent altogether, and the irritating questions and entanglements thus arising, all these
 and others that Spain's Fault That need not mention, H. u
 with the result 'no m"ino
 ing strained rela- Was Destroyed. tionS, are a con-
 stant menace to our peace and compel us to keep on a semi-war footing with that nation with which we are at peace.
 These clements of danger and dis order already pointed out have been strikingly illustrated by a tragic event which has deeply and justly moved the American people. I have already transmitted to Congress the report of the naval court of inquiry on the destruction of the battle-ship Maine in the harbor of Havana dur ing the night of the 18th of Febru- ary. The destruction of that noble vessel has filled the national heart with inexpressible horror. Two hun dred and f1fty-eight brave sailors and marines and TWO officers of our navy, reposing in the fancied se- curity of friendly harbor, have been hurled to death; grief and want brought in their homes, and sorrow to the nation.
 The Naval Court of Inquiry which. it is needless to say, commands the un- qualified confidence of the Government was unanimous in it's conclusion that the destruction of the Maine was caused by an exterior explosion that of submarine mine. It did not assume to place the re- sponsibility. That remains to be fixed
 In any event the destruction of the Maine, by whatever exterior cause, is patent and impressive proof of state of things in Cuba that is intolerable.
 That condition is thus shown to be such that the Spanish Government cannot assure safety and security to vessel of the American navy in the harbor of Ha- vana on mission of peace and rightfully there.
 Further, deferring in this connection to recent diplomatic correspondence, dis patch from our Minister to Spain of the 26th ultimo, contained the statement that the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs has assured him positively that Spain will do all that the highest honor and justice requires in the matter of the Maine. The reply above referred to, of the 31st ultimo, also contained an express sion of the readiness of Spain to submit to arbitration all the differences which can arise in this matter which is sub sequently explained by the note of the Spanish Minister at Washington of the 10th instant, as follows:
 '.As to the question of fact which springs from the diversified views be- tween reports of the American and Span ish boards, Spain proposes that the fact be ascertained by an impartial investiga- tion by experts, which decision Spain ac- ceptS in advance"
 To this I have made no reply. President Grant, in 1875, in discussing the phases of the contest as it then ap- peared, and it's hopeless and apparent in- definite prolongation, said: Tn such event