The San Francisco call., 1898-03-09
The President Will De- mand Peace for
 Cuba.
It Is Here That the Officers or the Government Look for
 a War With Spain.

dent has definitely formulated the plan he will pursue in regard to Cuban inter vention, but every body realizes, and no one more fully than the President, that now Congress proposes to give the ad- ministration $50O0O,000 for strengthen ing national defenseS the administra- tion will be expected to take some det- mite and positive stand in the direction of ending the war in Cuba.
 This phase of the matter was gone into at considerable length at to-day's Cabinet meeting. I was told by Cab inet officer that the question of treat ing the Maine disaster in connection with the chief point at issue between the two countries was considered. One or the arguments used was that Spain has l not only shown herself unable to con- | trol her domestic affairs in Cuba but, | as demonstrated by the fearful calam- i ity to the Maine, she Is unable to give proper protection to vessels in the mar | bor of Havana.
 Having discussed the Maine disaster, the general Cuban question and the prospective policy In regard to them, the Cabinet went into a long discussion of the best means of utilizing the $5o,- GOO 900 for putting the country in a state of defense. It resulted in a gen. eral understanding that the amount will be divided between the War and | Navy departmentS in proportions which the circumstances warrant. The
 hulk of the amount will, of course, be expended under the naval establish
 ment as it is realized that it is this
 branch of the service which will per form the more conspicuous part in any
 war we may have with Spain. Pres1- dent Mckinley cautioned prudence ln expenditures, but at the same time de- 1 clared that no expense should De 4,spared in strengthening every branch i of the service which sound military
 Judgment will warrant. It was agreed
 that the one question of prime impor-
 tance was the securing of more battle
 ships and torpedo boats, and that no efforts should be spared to obtain the
 best that could be had.
 Secretaries Long and Alger explained at length the plans outlined by the ex-
 perts of their respective departments for utilizing the money to be appro-
 priated, and the President felt satisfied from their statement that it would take , only a short time to place the country
 upon a substantial war footing
 2 It was learned tonight that there were three complaints from Spain in stead of two, as seemed to be the case
 when the President issued his state ment last Saturday afternoon. The hrs
 complaint related to General Lee which the President promptly refused
 The second referred to the warships to which the President partly assent Sn toll place of the Montgomery. Spain. third complaint was quickly met. l related to the recent mysterious visi'
 of Captain Crowninshield to the Wes Indies. It was asserted by Spain that this navy officer, who Is Chief of thu l Bureau of Navigation, had gone t( Porto Rico for the purpose of con , ferring with flibusters at the port ant had met a son of the Cuban leader General Garcia It was charged tha , Captain Crowninshield had given ait and comfort to the filibusters and haC materially helped them to send mer and supplies to Cuba, the navy of th' United States being used for that pur'
 pose. There was not, of course, the l slightest foundation for this assertion
 and the President at once communl'
 cated to Spain an emphatic denial
 He said Captain Crowninshield's visi'
 had nothing whatever to do with fili-
 busters and that the young man who
 was supposed to be Garcias son was
 the son of Captain Crowninshield.
 As quickly as the cable could bring
 an apology Spain replied that the charge had been made under misap
 prehension and that the President!
 statements were accepted without
 further question: