The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-23
GAY AND MERCURIAL HAVANA
FOOLISH RANTINGs OF SPANISH
BOY OFFICERS.
"Will Capture Mckinley, Unless He
Runs Awayn-But There Are
Some In Havana Who Regard War
Seriously.

Havana, March 17.-(From a staff
correspondent of the Associated Press.)
Unless history and poetry alike mis-
take, there was sound of revelry in
Brussels on the eve of Waterloo. Paris.
too. just before that big battle, was in
the whirl of balls and fetes. ->avana
is very gay today-Strangely so, when
the losses of it's well-to-do and the dire
poverty of its proletariat are consider
ed. OF course, the presence of the war
ships with their large complement of
officers, has much to do with the fes
tivitieS prevailing. Then, too, there are
centuries oe customs and scores of
scores of proverbs similar to the IA
miliar, tomorrow, another day. These
tend toward Inducing a somewhat mer-
curiaI people to forget the sad things
While they may, in singing, dancing
and all the rest that goes TO make up
social rounds.
But there are many serious ones who,
if they join in the laugh, drop into
other moods than joyous when left
alone. You can see them frown at the
absurd caricatureS OF Uncle Sam and
his miniOns with which the comic pa
pers of Madrid and Havana TEEN. You
can see them sneer at the fleets of for
midable war vessels. pictured in the
magazines and illustrated journals and
labeled, Part OF SPANS great navy"
You can hear them laugh sardonicaily
at the foolish rantings of boyish officers
when they say las the writer actually
heard one say today):s Wen land our
army at Key West. march straight in
land to Washington and in week from
landing Wen capture Mckinley and all
his ministry, unless they run away"
AS cabled recently. Havana has at
last awakened to what its people re-
gard as the proba bility of war with
the United States. and the sober-mind-
ed are counting the cost. Some whom
the government assumes 10 be the most
extreme conservatives are counting that
cost with satisfaction. They are an
nexationists now. no matter what they
were a year or so ago, and in the num-
Der are editors, lawyers, bankers, mer-
chants, manufacturers, officials, even
priests, though those of that function
cling more tenaciously to the vested
rights of the royalty.
Deep is the interest felt in the atti-
tude of the European powers in regard
to intervention, and loud are the ac-
claims of delight over published cable
grams purporting to give words of aid
and comfort from the German Emperor,
French minister or Italian deputy. But
the livelieSt grow grave at the men
ton of a possible alliance between
Great Britain and the United states, /
and the anxiety manifested by Senior
Congosto to interview Mr.. Collin, Brit
ish representative here. and even our
General Lee, and learn the truth or fall
sity of the story that the Prince of
Wales has said a British fleet would
support the United States in putting
an end to the war in Cuba. was almost /
ludicrous. it was so openly expressed.
OF course. all the above is from the |
point of view of the looker-on in Ha- !
vana- We know nothing of what is re-
ally going on in the great world of |
American and continental statecraft.