The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-08-04
Be Careful
With Your Diplomacy and Watch the
Tricky DOns.

Mr.. Mckinley and his advisers
never had more need for all their
wits than now that Spanish trick
cry has made start, through the
French Ambassador, for the open
ing of negotiations" for peace.
They have got to remember that
while no European power would
dare to fight the U. s., there are
several of them that would be only
too glad to aid Spain iD getting the
best of US through diplomacy, and
if Mr.. Mckinley consents to make
the terms of peace subject to "ne-
gotations" there al 9 numerour ways
in which 1t might be done. There
are men in this country, especially
those who have connections with
the great European financiers who
have money invested in Spanish
bonds that are secured by Cuban
revenues, who would be only too
glad to have a chance to try to save
something out OF the wreck by hav-
ing the terms of peace arranged by
diplomatic negotiations. 1t is not a
case for negotiation. Senator Nor
gan correctly stated the case when
he said: at is the duty of Spain, If
she wants to make peace, and that
means If she wants to surrender,to
ask terms of the U. S., and state
what she will be willing to accept.
Spain, having lost the control of
her colonies because of her incom-
petence, either to govern or to de-
fend them, the U. s. ought to accept
nothing except full and complete
surrender of the sovereignty of all
of these islands, from Porto Rico to
the Philippines. To make treaty
with Spain to which Cuba becomes
a party by being an agent in the
negotiation of the treaty or being
provided for in the treaty itself
will lead to embarrassment and
complications in the future. The
war has not yet progressed to that
stage in which the people of Spain
or even the Spaniards in Cuba, have
realized the fact that the U. S. has
power to suppress Spain utterly il
it should choose to do So"
There is much anxiety to know
how Mr.. Mckinley will meet the
Spanish peace play, and fear is ex.
pressed that his desire to bring the
war to a close may cause him tC
get caught in some diplomatic trar
that may cost this country whole
lot of money. The people have
been able to extract great deal OF
satisfaction from the victories we
have won from the Spaniards on
land and on water, but when mer
who are honest and aboveboard gel
to negotiating with men whose
bravery is byword all over the
world, the result is seldom salts
factory to the honest man. AgooG
motto for the administration JUS
now would be "No negotiations, ,bu
unconditional surrender" If Spair
won't accept that now, we can soor
whip her into doing so.
Admiral SIMPSONS report of The
fight that resulted in wiping ou
Cervera's fleet was received by the
Navy Department and made public
this week, 1t is more satisfactory
to Comm odore Schley's friends thar
was the cablegram sent the day o
the fight, which seemed to indicate
an intention on SIMPSONS part t.
appropriate to himself credit tina
properly belonged to Schley. Hi
official report does not take any
thing away from Schley to which
he Is entitled, but 1t seems to indi
cate an unwillingness to give hin
all that he earned by the daring
manner in which he fought tht
Brooklyn against ships that were
her superiors in armament. How
ever, Schley gives no sign of this II
his report to the Admiral unless
his reference to the victory being
"big enough for all of us" was sly
dig at Sampson. A notable feature
of the reports of Commodore Schley
and Captains Evans and Clark was
their high praise of the officers ant
crews of the Brooklyn, Texas anc
Oregon for their conduct In the
battle.
Official dispatches from Gen
Shafter bear out the contentious o
those who have been claiming right
along that the cases of yellow fever
in our army were much more num-
erous than anything given out by
the War Department indicated
More than 2400 of Shafter's men