The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-17
AS VIEWED BY sPANIARDs.
Many Think This Country Is Afraid
to Declare War

Many Think This Country Is Afraid
to Declare War.
ST. LOUIS, March ia Madrid cable
gram to the Globe-Democrat says: The i'm
preston is gaining ground here that the
United States Is reluctant to declare war.
and that, while it will continue its policy of
infiicting all sorts of sights upon Spain.
taking advantage of it's difficulties it will
stop short of an actual declaration of war
This is ascribed here partly to the fact that
the Americans dread the injury which
would result to their commerce and indus
try from a. war; and, secondly, to what is
stated to be their avowed inability to de-
fend all the towns and cities along their
immense coast line from bombardment by
Spanish war ships; and last, but not least,
the conviction that Spain has the support
Of at least one European power, and pos
sibly more. with whom the United States
might find herself involved in hostilities in
the event of her declaring war upon
Spain.
This impression, which has been strength
ened by the remarks of Captain Sobral, the
late naval attache of the Spanish legation
at Washington, who arrived to-day at Bar
celona, where he was interviewed by cor
respondents of all the Madrid newspapers,
has led to an increased outburst of ami
mostly in the press here tonight against
the United States. The various papers vie
with each other in abuse, and the I'm
parcial the Heraldo and the Nacional unite
in declaring that all the war talk and even
the alleged war preparations in America are
nothing but mere Yankee bombast and
buncombe, of which no account need be
taken, since they are only destined to
frighten the people here and to conceal the
fact that the Yankees" themselves are
scared out of their wits
1t is added that unless Spain herself de-
clares war no hostilities need be appre-
hended here, since, in spite of their trucu-
lent talk, the Americans are far too fright
ened not to go any length to avoid the con-
flict. That such belief should prevail
here may appear incredible at first sight;
but it must be confessed that there is much
in the apparent hesitation on the part of
the United States to bring matters to an
issue to confirm the impression. Moreover,
Ii is corroborated by eX-Mnister Dupuy de
Lone and by Captain Sobral. both of whom
insist that the President may be relied upon
to resist to the very utmost any pressure
brought to bear upon him.
All the war talk in both houses of Con-
greSS is declared by these two diplomats to
be mere playing to the gallery on the part
stituents, and as carrying no weight what
soever. Indeed both the ex-midister and
his ex-naval attache by every means in
their power belittle the preparations made
by the United States for conflict with
Spain, insist upon the many vulnerable and
weak points, and are most vehement in
their ;nsistance that no danger beyond mere
Sights and insults, the result of ignorance
of the rules of courtesy, need be anticipated
or feared from the American government.
1t is sincerely to be regretted that Con-
ServativeS and Liberals alike should accord
the most implicit confidence in the stories
which De Lone and Sobral tell about the
malicious character, and which give the
people here an altogether wrong view OF
the condition of affairs in America and of
the influences that prevail.
A striking proof of the effect of the re-
ports of these two diplomats upon the gov
eminent is the announcement made by the
latter tonight that steps are being taken to
dispatch a second large fiotilla of torpedo
boats across the Atlantic TO Havana, in
spite of the knowledge freely published here
that the American government had to sucn
an extent taken exception to the dispatch of
the first f1otilla that it had actually asked
for explanations through the American am
bassador of the government here, and is
causing the fiotilla to be followed across
the ocean by some of its own cruisers 1t
is needless to say that, after the declaration
of De LONE and of Sobral as to the value
of American menaceS, no stock whatsoever
is taken either by the government or by the
people in the threats telegraphed tonight
as having been made at Washington to the
effect that If Spain attempted to send an
other fiotilla of torpedo boats and destroy
ers across the ocean into American waters
it would be construed as an act OF hostility
on the part Of Spain, and that an American
squadron would receive instructions TO
either force the fotilla to turn back or else
would capture it and take it as a prisoner
to some American port.
News has reached Madrid that the En-
peror of Austria, who is exceedingly fond
of his cousin, the Queen Regent, and enter
tains the highest opinion of her character
frNrrr,a
coalition of continental powers against the
United States with view to affording
Spain, if not material, at any rate moral
support. The people here, however, do not
seem to attach much weight thereto, enter
tanning a sort of traditional distrust and
hatred of everything that halls from Aus
tria, based on memories of Austrian oppres-
sion of Spain in the past, and conviction
that the dual empire has neither the power
sistance in the present difficuity. Far more
Importance is attached to the conviction
that, in the event of war with America,
Spain can rely upon something more than
the mere moral support of France, and pos
sibly of her ally, Russia, as we'll.
Meanwhile the Queen Regent, who is one
of the principal champions of the cause of
peace, and who is weighed down with
anxiety for her boys throne, dreading on
the one hand the inevitable issue of a war
with America and on the other the almost
assured overthrow of the dynasty If a war
does not soon take place in compliance with
the popular demands, is endeavoring to
atone as far as lies in her power for the
gross discourtesy and entire absence of hos
pitality with which the Woodfords have
been treated since their arrival mere. To-
day she at length received Mrs. Woodford
and the ladies of the United States lega-
ton, who ought, if the truth were known,
to have been received in special audience a
long time ago, but whose presentation to
her Majesty had been upon one pretext and
another put off time and again. However,
her Majesty made up for the delay by her
altogether exceptional graciousness and
inc -SHc lxFlfa
how to be when she takes pains to do so,
and there is no doubt that their altogether
charming reception by the Queen to-day
ladies of the American mission the memory
OF the many Sights to which they have
been so unjustly subjected by not only
Madrid society, but by even the very trades
people since their arrival here.
WILL NOT SELL CUBA.