The San Francisco call., 1898-03-28
Call Office, Riggs House,
Washington, March 27.


 The President saw a number of the members of the Cabinet at the White House to-day. They dropped in one by one until those present included Secre- taries Bliss, Alger, Gage and Attorney General Griggs. With them also was Assistant Secretary Day of the State Department, who presumably had some dispatches to show the President The gathering was not a special Cabl- net meeting in the sense that that term is generally used, but was simply a talk between the President and his advisers concerning matters on which he desired to consult. The Cuban ques- tion and the report of the Maine court of inquiry were the topics discussed, but so far as could be ascertained noth- ing conclusive was determined, one Of the members of the Cabinet saying subsequently, that there was nothing new or startling in the situation.
 The presence of Judge Day would infer that there were advices from Minister Woodford, but further than an acknowledgment that communica- ton Is in progress between the State Department and the Minister nothing could be ascertained.
  ments there was little semblance of Sabbath. Chiefs of bureaus, clerks, messengers and telegraph operators -Iera at work. Probably never. since tsas days of the late war have so many officials gathered at the War and Navy departments on a Sunday. Dis patches that came over night regard ing the movements of ships and other
 a n ' of them required a prompt answer by the department, emergency replies were formulated.
 Secretary Long, however, did not ap- pear at the Navy Department during the day. as most of the matters re curing attention were those that could as well be attended to by bureau officers and their assistants. Mrs. Long has been i'll for some time, and the Secretary in part shook official cares and spent the major portion or the day with her. In the afternoon, Tn company with Mrs. Long, the Secre- tary drove to the navy yard and in sDected the dynamite cruiser VesuVius, ualich is having her guns repaired The Vessel has been at the yard since about a week, and great crowds have been there to see her.
 Assistant Secretary Day spent DOT ton of the Sabbath at the State De partment and there received call from the Spanish Minister, a rather unusual procedure, indicating lmpor- tant matters for consideration. The conference lasted some time, but its nature could not be learned.
 Tonight Commodore Winfield 5. Schley, just appointed to the command of the flying squadron" left here for Norfolk It is said that tomorrow he will hoist his flag on the Brooklyn, which is to be the flagship of the fleet. of now at Hampton Roads is the Massa- chusetts Of the remaining three the Texas is in New York receiving her ammunition hoists and the Columbia and the Minneapolis are at League ls- land navy yard, where the final work nreDaratorv to their sea service is be- ing hurriedly done. The latter will be at Norfolk about the middle of the week.
 Tn, developments of the day in the Cuban situation indicate steady pro- gress in the negotiations in this coun- try and Spain. looking to the main tenance of peact at the present at least There is good authority for say ing that Spain'S wish is to secure ces- sation of hostilities in Cuba rather than to engage in a war with the United States, and that it is more than prop able that negotiation between the Gov ernment of the United StateS and the Sagasta Ministry will take turn in the immediate future. The present Spanish Ministry has expressed a pa cific disposition from the beginning, ' and the indications are strong now that if will avail itself of the good offices of the United St teS to the fullest ex- tent that public opinion in Spain will allow in bringing to an end the hos tilitieS in Cubt-
 TO what extent the Unted States may 20 in assisting Spain in her present de- sign of securin an armiStice is not yet determined, but the conservative ele- ment in the administration consider the manifestation of this desire on their part for even a temporary peace di- rect result of President Mckinley s diplomacy and they are naturally dis posed to contend that the President should be left free for the present at least to pursue a policy which promises much in the way of preventing war be- tween this country and Spain and also of bringing to a close the hostilities in Cuba. Hence there will be an effort on the part of the peacefully inclined in Congress to continue to hold that body in check and to prevent lnf1ammatory utterances there until thls promlslng diplomatic lead may be exploited. On the part of the administration It IS stated that the development or the stu. ation will not require a great length or time and that there will be no ex- tended delay.
 A pollcy has been fully uelerilneo upon by the President It is to bring the Cuban war to a close. This will be accomplished by pointed intervention 1T necessary, but it is considered far pre- fera6le that the end should come as the result of peaceful negotiations than mat IL should be accompanied by hos I1ie dem1!onstrations on the part of the iISu 5 states. Hence the disposition or tIe Itsldent Is to give Spain a fair op- 4 portunity to secure an arnistice with me Cupans and to allow her a reason spIe lIi9e Tn which to come to an un- derstanding with the Cubans.
 It can De stated upon high authority the Presidents intention to see that the war IS terminated and that it is cioSed upon terms that will render the Cubans practically a free 1neonIe It Is