The Indianapolis journal., 1898-07-15
Not n Word to Indicate the People OF
the Peninsula Know Anything
About the Surrender.
PEACE FEELING is GROWING
BUT "INORDINATE- TERMS WILL NOT
BE LISTENED TO.
RumOr at Madrid that 5000 Ameri-
cans Have Landed Near Cienfue-
gOs-NO Money for Salaries.


for peace is growing daily, especially in
commercial circles The Chamber of Com
merce has received kilograms in this sense
from Cadiz, Vigo and other towns. 1t must
not be supposed, however, that the desire is
for peace at any price. Peace with honor
and without great territorial sacrifices more
accurately describes the movements. Inor-
dinate demands might easily arouse the
warlike spirit of the people to such an ex-
tent that the government would be COM
PEELED to swim with the current, regardless
of consequences. The government itself
maintains the greatest reserve. l believe
that Duke Almodovar de Rio, the foreign
minister, only desires authentic information
of what the American government intends
to demand in the way of territorial conces-
sions. There are various channels by which
these might be privately aScertained with
out employing the good offices of any for
eign government.
For example, it is no secret that in one
or two European capitals the Spanish and
American representatives have remained on
friendly terms. Whatever channels 1t en-
ploys the result will have great influence. 1t
must seriously affect the attitude of the
Spanish government, because, however de-
sirous ministers may be to spare their coun-
try further sacrifices, there are certain con-
cessions suggested in the American press
which public opinion would not allow them
to make.
"Spains colonial empire may be dimin-
ished in area, but it must not be destroyed.
The question of pecuniary indemnity has not
yet occupied public opinion in this country.
Some persons who are supposed to be we'll
acquainted with official and unofficial Cpin-
ion in the United States declare that PIesi-
dent Mckinley will be very moderate in his
demands, but his insisting upon the uncon-
ditional surrender of the garrison Gf San
tiago does not seem to indicate a concilia-
tory spirit. The manner in which the first
advances on the part Of Spain are met will
have great influence on the Fubsesquent
course Of events. because the Spaniards.
who are themselves a most courteous peo-
Pile, are inordinately sensitive about mat
ters of form to which more practical na-
tons are comparatively Indifferent.
A special dispatch to the Times from vi
emma says: $50 far from Austria having in
tervened in behalf of Spain, it is highly
improbable that she will take any inde-
pendent action in the matter" The Times
editorially says it supposeS General Toral S
resources were exhausted, and whatever or
ders may have emanated from Madrid, he
had no option but to surrender. Between
the terms accepted and the unconditional
surrender which General Shafter demanded,
the difference is little more than formal. In
any case the arrangement mUak be great
relief to General Shafter, wy>1:e troops,
through rain and yellow jack, must have
suffered very seriously. The writer again
urges Spain to seek peace while there is
possibility of favorable terms, since it is
perfectly hopeless that any satisfactory re-
suit can come from delay after this military
catastrophe, which is likely to be repeated
elsewhere, and the longer the war continues
the more difficult it must be for the United
States to leave to Spain any part of her
colonial possessions.
According to a special dispatch from
Madrid the Correspondents Militare an
nounces that the government has decided to
suspend the payment of salaries to all civil
and military servants, as the money is
needed for war expenses. Feverish prepara-
tions continue at the coast towns for the
advent of the Americans. The governor of
Ceuta complains of the unfitness of the guns
and defenses there. All the guns that can
be spared are being shipped to the Balearic
islands. Admiral Camara's squadron, it is
said, will be sent to Carthagena-
A special to the Times, from Rome, in
reference to the remark attributed to Ad-
miral Cervera that the Cristobal Colon's
big guns were made, perhaps, in Italy,
meaning that they had never been delivered
with the cruiser on the sale to Spain, says
I'll Corriere Della Sera, of Milan, publishes
letters showing that the 254 millimeter Arm
strong guns intended for the Colon are
actually now in Italy, they having been re-
fused by the representatives of the Spanish
government as defective and that the Hon
toria guns intended to replace them were
never mounted. Hence, the Colon really had
no guns capable of piercing the armor Of
ships like the Iowa or New York.