Evening star., 1898-01-20
PRESIDENTS PLAN
Significance of Mr.. Hits Remarks
in the Cuban Debate.
REPUBLICANS BELIEVED TO Be IN LINE
Willing to Give Autonomy a Fair
Trial.
NAVAL EMERGENCY ORDERS

The Speaker and Chairman Hit are
straining every nerve to keep down the
Cuban question. They believe that the
danger line has been passed in the House,
and that the republicans are now in line
with the policy of the leaders, and will
rem ain SO for the time being, at least.
The Implication in Mr.. Hits speech, that
the President was going to take an i'm
portant STEP which called for TIE support
Of all good Americans, has quieted those
republicans whose impatience had reached
an almost uncomfortable point. BY the
rules of construction usually applied to
diplomatic utterances, the declaration that
all patriotic Americans should stand firmly
behind the President, when he takes a
step necessary for the vindication of the
honor and protection of the interests of
our country, step made necessary by
duty, In view of the troubles, the confu-
sions, the distinctions and the hopeless
condition OF things in the island" would
slsnify that this step so solemnly discussed
Is about to be taken. Otherwise Mr.. Hit,
1t Is natural to infer, would have 'if' the
President takes a STEP etc.
Inc cuban sympathizers on the republi
can side of the House undoubtedly con-
strued Mr.. Hits remarks according to the
usage or diplomacy, and hence became
patient.
There Is good reason to believe however,
that more significance than is warranted
by the facts is attached to the expressions
used. While Mr.. Hit mad a long talk with
the President the night before he made his
speech and it is therefore supposed that he
was fully informed before speaking, he
spoke without reference to manuscript and
MS language was not necessarily carefully
studied as to its form. Moreover If he
to no Jc oh.
strued as significant it must be remembered
that he was confronted with a pressing
exigency and might have been making use
OF double diplomacy" The impatience on
the part of certain republicans rendered it
necessary that they should be pacified, and
| 1t may have been designed that they should
draw the inference from his remarks most
satisfactory to themselves, in order to ex-
cuse them from the demands of their own
impatience or that of their constituents
There is, at all events. the best Of reason
for the belief tina: any further step on the
part of the President is not more partic-
ularly imminent at this moment than it
has been during the past several weeks.
The President has been unwilling or
| able within a few hours to state how far
oft was the time when he would conclude
that Spain had been given a reasonable
opportunity to demonstrate her capacity to
properly conduct the affairs of Cuba. 1t is
known, too. that he still entertains the
hope that the time for further action on his
part will never come. He sees the danger
di awing closer around him, but is still op-
timistic and feels that prolonged procrast-
nation may avert difficulty. He awaits still
some further evidence of the incapacity Of
Spain or some overt act aimed at Amer
leans. Meanwhile, however, he recognizes
the ever-present danger Of something oc-
curing at any minute which would render
action necessary. -
Will Give Autonomy Fair Trial.
1t has already been repeatedly announc-
ed that the President is waiting to give a
fair trial to the attempt to establish au-
tonomy in Cuba. 1t is generally regarded
as sufficiently established that autonomy
has failed, but President has a peculiar
responsibility, and therefore may require
stronger evidence than is necessary to
convince the public. The time when he
will decide upon the next STEP is there
fore still uncertain. The inference is that
that next step would be direct interven-
ton. 1t does not necessarily follow that
it would be an armed Intervention. 1t Is
said that there Is an understanding be-
tween the President and the Spanish min
lister on this point, and that there is a pos
sibility that Spain will not hold out longer
after the President announces that the end
had come to his policy of reserve.
The present condition of affairs might
run on, however, for some time yet should
there be no new development in the situa-
hon. American warships are held in re-
serve at a distance. They are several hours
they be needed, call for them would be
signal for action.
Under Emergency Orders.
1t is stated at the Navy Department to-
day that every vessel in the navy has been
put under emergency orders (Which is not
quite so terrible thing it sounds. The
orders to the gunboat Nashville to join the
European squadron have been revoked.
The Helena, which is on the way to
China. has been StODDe1 bV cable ar
dered to keep in readiness to return The
Cincinnati and the Costine, in the South
American waters, nave been ordered to
proceed up the coast. Commodore Dewey,
in command of the Asiatic station, has been
notified to keep his squadron in readiness
to return by the shortest route at any time.
SPANISH MINISTER ANNOYED.