The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-04-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 10, 1903.

dent now recognizes the newt
able. that war with Spain is only
a question of a few days. He
went as far as his own views
or the overwhelming sentiment
of the country would permit
when he gave Spain an oppor-
tunity to escape war by recogni-
zing the independence of Cuba.
This opportunity the Govern
ment of Spain chose to decline.
The diplomatic correspondence
with Spain, about to be laid be-
fore Congress, reflects credit
upon the President.
Although there are still q few
persons in Washington who are
advocating a continuance of dip
lomatic efforts to avoid war, and
more outside who are trying to
influence Senators and Represen-
tatives by wire to do nothing,
there isn't the shadow of a doubt
that Congress, the sentiment of
which is practically unanimous,
will this week, almost certainly
within the next three days, take
action that will make war GER
tain. The administration is ar
ranging everything with that
expectation, in order to be able
to start the fighting with vigor.
Everything around the Govern
ment departments is already on
a war footing; no information as
to the movements of troops or
the contemplated movement of
ships is now given out, and be-
ginning with yesterday no out
siders are allowed to visit the
Washington Navy Yard without
pass. All of our ships have
been placed under emergency
orders.
Congress is thoroughly in the
fighting humor, and, in addition
to adopting the legislation that
will make war unavoidable, it
will this week pass the legisla-
ton that will furnish the Gov
eminent with the money that
will be needed to carry on the
war. The probabilities are that
the money will be raised by spec
ial taxes, instead of by an issue
of bonds. There is a very decid-
ed prejudice against an issue of
bonds, if it can be avoided.
The Spaniards do not live up
to the maxim that lie well
stuck to can often be made to
pass for the truth. They lied
glibly enough in their report de-
claring the Maine to have been
blown up by Cubans, thus admit
ting the falsity of their own Off
cial report. The Spanish min
lister made public the affidavit of
a New York inventor of explo-
sives, in which he says he was
called on by number of memb-
ers of the Cuban Junta who were
greatly interested in the power
full explosives he had invented,
and endeavored without saying
so in so many words to leave the
impression that the Cuban Junta
had the Maine blown up. The
official reference to the Maine in
SPANS long communication to
this Government was unsatisfac-
tory, not to say positively insult
ing. The President in his mes
sage to Congress said that he
trusted to SPANS honor and
sense of justice-undiscovered
qualities-for proper response
to the report of the Maine court
Of inquiry. He trusted in vain.
Spain referred to the loss of the
Maine as an Occurrence" and
suggested that it could be sub
mitted to arbitration, and ex-
pressed neither regret nor spec
ial interest in the matter, there
by displaying a lack of wisdom
and adding to the anti-Spanish
feeling in Congress, and the idea
that the treacherous blowing up
of the Maine furnished a sufi- |
cient cause for war.
The action of the House in in
the number of torpedo
boats and torpedo boat DESTROY
ers provided for in the regular
appropriation bill from six of |
each to twelve of each is gener-
ally commended, although no
one has any idea that they can
be built in time to take any part
in the war with Spain. 1t is
simply that the existing situa-
ton has convinced nearly every
body OF the necessity of our be-
ing always prepared to defend
ourselves against a possible enc
my.
Representative Lorimer, of IL
linois, voiced the sentiment of
many men in Congress and thous-