The San Francisco call., 1898-03-28

leilo lIldl opdll w III I4OI CNCiA Oe1hSliOll our continuing to give relief to the Cubans, the President sent for several members of his Cabinet and began seri- ously to canvass the question whether the country would be satisfied with the Spanish proposition when it came; whether Congress could be controlled or prevented from smashing the Presi- dents peace policy in disgust, and whether the Cuban insurgents could be induced through the "unfriendly office" of the United States to consent to the continuance of Spanish dominion under changed conditions.
 Information that the President is dis posed to acquiesce in the Spanish prop osition comes from an official in po- sition to speak. He has been dis couraged from many quarters tonight. In every human probability the Span ish Minister will tomorrow be told that the United States cannot pledge itself to indorSe any policy that Spain may offer short of the granting of inde- pendence to Cuba.
 That will end the will-'o-t -wisp. But it is not doubted by those near the President that he will consent to giving Spain more time if Congress and pub- lie opinion will support him. He is willing to go to extremes, short of sur render, on the question of feeding the innocent victims of war in Cuban iS. that it is believed there will be clash unless Spain recedes from the position she is reported by the Herald cable from Madrid to have taken.
 There is no change in the plan of the President about sending relief. If Con- gross is qufescent tomorrow over the Maine report he will on Tuesday ask for not less than s500.000 and possibly S1, 000, 900 for relief purposes. The fsug- gestion from the advocates of peace at any price that it might be less dis quieting' to ask for $200, 900 as start CT" has been spurned by the President. If Spain objects to the sending of food and clothing then the United Staes will insist, and Spain can take the respon- sibility for declaring war if that be deemed wise In Madrid. So insistent is the President on this, so continually do his personal friends bring this up in conversation, that it is clear he desires should war be inevitable that it shall come over the question of sending re- lief
 Should the Spanish Government ob- ject to this relief then steps will be ta- ken to overcome this objection forcibly, if necessary. Should the Spanish Gov ernment hamper the distribution of re- lief, all the power of the United States Government will be exerted to sweep these impediments away.
 There is noticeable here a change in the sentiment throughout the country on the question of war. Business in- terests have noticeably receded from their stand taken some time ago that war should be averted at all hazards. Letters members of the Cabinet are re- ceiving all breathe the hope that the Cuban question shall be got out of the way. They are almost unanimous in the opinion that if the question can not be taken away peaceably it must be taken away with war. They are will ing to follow the President, no matter what the outcome may be, but to have the whole question dragging along for months and months, with the business of the country unsettled, is not to be borne.
 A deeper shade of concern Is also ob- served in the faces of men like Senator Hanna, who have been urging the peace policy. These men are beginning to suspect that the more time we give to Spain the more difficult it will be to dislodge her.
 They are learning that the Govern ment at Madrid is rapidly strengthen ing its sea power. They are getting information that in short time she expects to be so strong that she can say when we want to back up our re- lief movement with force: Do so if you dare. We are ready" Word comes tonight that with her new loan of s4O,OOO.OO0 she will soon have overcome the advantage we now have over her at sea. This change of sentiment is having some effect on the administra- tion, and some of the members of the Cabinet who have been for peace are shifting and beginning to contemplate the prospect of war as not remote. Sec retary of the Treasury Gage is not one of these. He is still combating the idea of war with might and main. It has been learned that it was he who brought up again at the last hour the proposition to have financiers settle the Cuban war with money, which has been spurned by the Spanish Gov ernment.