The San Francisco call., 1898-04-01

.. from Madrid in reply to our rep g. os resentations, President Mckinley B. os tonight received through the B 0s State Department long cable S os message from General Wood s 2s ford. Minister to Spain. This s s message is not the final answer s s of Spain to our proposition, but $ s its character IS such that war IS % s6 still regarded to be inevitable. co
 President Mckinley was waiting for this message tonight, and invited a large number of friends to remain and learn any important news that might arrive. Assistant Secretaries of State Day and Adee, of the State Department, were at hand to translates inc cipher code. Among the Presidents callers wkie Alr. McArthur, Second Secretary of the American legation at Madrid, Vice President Hobart and Senators AL drich, Spooner, Allison and Hanna.
 The party broke up at midnight, and all were reticent. Three or four Sen ators, however ad1aitted that the situa- ton was extremely serious, and that the question now was whether the Senate could be restrained from action in the Cuban matter if there was any prolonged delay in negotiating terms with Spain. Senator Hanna, when asked if it was peace or war, replied that he did not know.
 I learned late tonight. tha. sthe mes sage from General Woodford. which is a very long one, was not entirely trans lated, and that while 1t did not give Spain's final reply to our proposition contains the general opinion of Minister Woodford on the whole situation gath cred from talks he has had with mem bers of the Cabinet as well as from communication which have passed be- tween him and the Council.
 Spain has not made a formal request for more time, but she is going to- Gen eral Wopdford's dispatch refers to the Spanisis contention that there can be nc cession of territory by the Spanish Gov ernment until the Cortes meets This was fully explained in the Herald's Washington dispatches this morning and the fact that this request for delay was coming was anticipated. The ques- ton as to the ability of the Spanish Gov ernment to act goes further than this the point having been raised that the Spanish Ministry could not grant inde- pendencc to Cuba as demanded by President Mckinley without the acton of the Cortes. An hour after the Presi- dents callers took their leave every on, of them had been seen by the HeralC correspondent. Not one of them wa willing to give any definite news, bu the manner of each indicated tha it was highly unsatisfactory. They al declared that the cablegram from Minis ter Woodford left the situation un changed.
 A statement was seni-off1cially issue' to-day that Spain was expected to -nak a counter proposition to ours coverin, the following points:
 First-That Spain shall send the re concentrates back to their homes ant supply them with the means of sustain ing life until the normal conditions cal be restored.
 Second-That there shall be al ar mistice between Spain and Cuba witt the end in view of securing settlemen of the difficulties and the withdrawal o the Spanish forces from Cuba.
 Third-Ihat in case of the failure O the Cubans and the Spaniards to com, to an understanding during the armis tice Spain shall submit the entire mat ter to President Mckinley as arbitratc, with the understanding that he will de eide in that event for the entire indepen dence of Cuba.
 There is reason for believing tha these points in reality cover the sub stance of the proposition of the United States to Spain. The first of these propositions has been anticipated b, Spain. The reconcentrados have beer ordered released. The second is mani. testly impossible, because the insurgent;