The Press., 1898-04-21
Washington Letter.
washington, April IS, 1898.

Washington, April IS, 1898.
 It would seem to man up tree that the complaintsSof congress recently made of the slowness of the president was an instance of "the pot calling kettle black" From the talk in congress before the president's message wentin it was sup posed that the message would be acted upon within 8 day after 1t was received, but 1t was before congress a week before the resolution authorizing forcible inter- vention was in the president's hands. The house adopted a resolution promptly, but the senate, after wasting four days in talk without bringing forward a single new idea, unless the assertion of Senator Wellington that there was no reason for our going to war with Spain can be con- sidered one, adopted an entirely different resolution, includinga a provision for the recognition of Cuba, which made more delay. While 1t probably is not true that these delays were the result of plotting, 1t is not surprising that suspicion was ex- pressed by the impatient. .s..
 According to statements made by mem- bers of the administration: the president will lose no time In putting armed inter vention into effect, and the rushing of all available troops in the regular army to southern ports looks like immediate busi- ness ; but he will probably first demand the peaoeable evacuation of Cuba by Spain, granting . day or two Tor Spain to answer. That will mean more time So many predictions have been upset by un- expected delays that few aIe being made to war. Of that everybody Is certain, but nobody Is certain whether the shooting will start this week ,or next, or week after.
 Although no prominent man in either party would acknowledge them to have been necessary. men who wear their party collars loosely consider. that Senator Gray's words-"There is one truce one armistice -that. Il want, and that is truce between the political, parties. of this country until we can settle our account with Spain" were not only necessary, but that they have had a good effect on those who have been trying to play party politics in congress during the last few days, by causing them to realize that they were getting on thin ice, and letting them know that, whatever their intentions, they were not fooling everybody. Plain Ameri- canism Is good enough. for every true patriot until we have given Spain that long invited thrashing, and the politician big or little who fails to recognize that fact will be. made to pay dearly for his error by the LeopIe. .-.. .4...-
 Among the many offers made to the war department of men and things to use against the Spaniards was one. from a circus proprietor of twenty five elephants, which he said would be just what would be needed by our army in Cuba He did not like it at all when the officials told him that they didn't think they could make use of the elephants ... ., i.-.. a. ,4
 If the representatives of the great European powersin Washington are cor rectly reporting the state of cohgression- al sentimentto their governments, nothing is likely to come of the renewed talk about the intention of the six. greatest note to persuade this government not to force Spain out of Cuba, and if that fails to make threat of resorting to force to compel us to keep our hands of Spain's island possessions. That Austria, France an1 Italy would be willing to go to aL most any extreme to- aid Spain, if they could be assured of the assistance of Eng land, Germany and Russia, is. very we'll known. But the deterinfnat ton Of con- gress, which knows that it reflects the would not be changed one iota, even if formal notice was served on this country that European forge would be used to prevent the carrying out of the joint reso- lutlon just adopted, to drive Spain -o,ft sof Cuba. Senator Teller voiced he senti- ment of administration, congress, and people when he said ''There must be no interference by the allied powers of Europe. We should declare that with all the vigor of our Anglo-Saxon, blood and our 75, GOO, 900 people," "Noforeign die tation," would become, companion. .slo- gan to "Remember the. Maine,s'+ s'+sthe minute that the European powers attempt ed to meddle with our settlement of The Cuban question.
 Many of the old-timers in Washington can remember when the passing of the lie diredt from one senator to another would have led to trouble outside of the senate chamber, but if Senator Wellington, of Md. has taken any step towards resent ing or demanding a sretractiont of the words, ,-'Ayoua are liar-A'' applied to him In open senate by Senator Money, of Miss, whom he charged with having gone to Cuba as the agent of New York paper, nobody has found 1t out Senator Money apologized to- the senate for. using unparlimentary language, but he did, not apologize to Senator Wellington for; call Ing him liar. a.a a-.. @,s-. -.-s~.-t ~.s-> .-- -'' - .. 'sa