Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-04-07

reply to President McKinley's latest
demand in the Cuban situation was re-
ccived in Washington last night. An
anxious party, comprising most of the
cabinet and several close friends of the
administration, waited urtil late in the
evening in expectation o.: develop
ments. About 1890 the message be-
gan to come, in cipher, and the work
OF translation was begun at once. It
was officially stated, however, that no
intimation as to the nature of the re-
ply could be divulged. There was an
intensely expectant crowd of newspa-
per correspondents, larger than often
gathers at the White House at night,
waiting in the lobby outside the pres
ident's office. But they were destined
to disappointment, for after the tele-
graph instrument in the adjoining Of
flee had steadily clattered for half an
hour Mr.. Porter, the presidents secre-
tary, appeared with the announcement
from Secretary Day that it was i'm
possible to translate the message in
time to give out any statement. All
those who had been with the president
| were reticent on leaving the executive
mansion, most of them declaring they
had not seen any of the translation of
the cipher dispatch and that they had
no idea of its purport.
Day of Anxious Waiting.
1t was a day of anxious waiting for
Spain's reply to the demands of the
United States contemplating the ter
mination of the war in Cuba and the
independence of the island. On that
reply, it was universally believed, the
issue between peace or war would be
decided unless some new unexpected
considerations arise to postpone the
issue further. But delay would meet
the opposition of congress. The
gravity Of the situation was felt in all
official quarters. 1t was not day OF
| even greater from the uncertainty that
prevailed, and the feeling that Spain
would not cOncede the complete indie
pendence of Cuba.
The White House continued to be
thronged with congressional leaders
anxious to learn from the president
what his course was to be. The gen.
eral view conveyed by these leaders
after they had been with the president
was that he expected to have definite
replies from Spain in time to present
the entire subject to congress Monday.
The attitude of European powers
continued to be seriously discussed in
official quarters, as it was felt that an
offer of European mediation was al
most certain to follow a war crisis.
No distinct offer has been submitted
up to the present moment. In this
connection the cable report from Ber-
lin that Germany
Was Menncing Spain
on an old claim and was about to
make a naval demonstration in Cuba
attracted much attention. 1t was the
opinion of diplomats that Germany
would not choose such u juncture as
the present in order to make emer-
gency demands in Il claim against
Spain.
Congress will wait until Monday be-
fore any action is taken. Both COM
mittees Of congress dealing with for
eign affairs We're in session. The SEN
| siJC cOIllulllcc COIllluueu us eAitiO1ut-
ton OF the report OH the Maine, and
the house committee, by a party vote,
refused to take any action on Cuba
until Monday. The senate committee
agreed to, and Senator Lodge reported
a bill appropriating $5,O00,0O0 to pur-
chase one or more of the Danish West
India islands to be used for naval pur-
poses. The senate committee had be-
fore it Capt. Sigsbee, of the Inflated
Maine, and Capt. Barker, Secretary
Longs naval aid. What these officers
told the committee is held as confiden-
tial. The committee of the Republican
conference reported that no action be
taken until Monday, the conference
aGiourning until that date. When this
committee returned from it's consulta-
ton it's chairman commended the
course of the president and expressed
confidence in what he was doing. AS
to his plans they said nothing. stating
that they agreed TO treat as confiden-
tial such communications as the pres
| ident made to them.
ALI. POINTS TO PEACE.