Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-08-05

is SPAIN PLAYING HER USUAL DE-
CEPTIVE GAME?

Match for the Oily Frenchman.
Srain's Ascnt-A Sober Second
thought Impels Sampson to Do
Justice to Schlcy-Etc.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, July 80, 1898.
Mr.. Mckinley and his advisers never
had more need for all their wits than
now that Spanish trickery has made Il
start through the French Amhass ador.
for 'he opening Of negotiations" for
peace. Tnry have got to remember
that whil- no Ear"pcan power would
dare to fight the | ?:'cd States, there
are several o! them that would be ONLY
to" glad to All Spain in getting the
best of lis through diplomacy, and il
Mr.. Mckinley consents to make the
terms uf peace subject to "ncgotia-
tons" there are numerous WAYS in
which it might be done. There are
men IN this country, especially those
who have connections with the great
European iinancicrs who have money
invested in Spanish bonds that
are secured 10y Cuban revenues. who
would be only too glad to have a
chance to try to save something out of
the wreck by having the terms OF peace
arranged by diplomatic negotiations.
1t is not case for negotiation. Sena-
tor Morgan correctly stated the case
when he said alt is the duty of
Spain, il she wants To make peace,
ana that means if she wants TO sur
render, to ask terms of the United
| States, ANA state what she will be will.
ing to accept. Spain, having lost con-
troll of her colonies because of her in
competence, either 10 govern or to de-
fend them, the United States ought to
accept nothing except full and COM
plete surrender Of the sovereignty of
all of these islands, from Porto Rico
to the Philippines. To make treaty
with Spain to which Cuba becomes a
party by being an agent in the negotia-
ton of the treaty or being provided for
i'll the treaty itself, will lead to en-
barrassment and complications in the
future. The war has not yet pro-
crossed To that stage in which the peo-
pie OF SpAia, or even the Spsniards in
Cuba, have realized the fact that the
United States has power to suppress
Spain utterly, If il should choose TO do
So"
There is much anxiety to know how
Mr.. Mckinley will meet the Spanish
peace-play, and fear is expressed that
his desire to bring the war to close
may cause him to get caught in some
diplomatic trap that may cost this
country whole lot Of money. The
people have been able to extract a
great deal of satisfaction from the
victories We have won from the
Spaniards on land and on water, but
when men who are honest and above
board get to negotiating with men
whose knavery is byword all over
the world, the result is seldom salts
factory to the honest man. A good
motto for the administration just now
would be " No negotiations, but I'M
conditional surrender" II Spain won't
accept that now, we can soon whip her
into doing SO.
The news from Cen Miles is en-
tirely satisfactory, as far as it goes.
He had no trouble in landing on Porto
Rico early this week, without the loss
OF man. and his force is being daily
increased by new arrivals. The ex-
pectation at the War Department is
that he will get his campaign actually
started within week.
Admiral SIMPSONS report of the
fight that resulted in wiping out
Cervera's fleet was received by the
Navy Department and made public
this week. 1t is more satisfactory to
Commodore Schley's friends than was
the cablegram sent the day of the
fight, which seemed to indicate an in.
teution on Simpsons part to ap.
propriate to himself credit that proper.
ly belonged to Schley. His official re-
port does not take anything away
from Schley to which he is entitled.
but it seems to indicate an unwilling
ness to give him all that he earned
by the daring manner in which he
fought the Brooklyn against ships
that were her superiors in armament.
However, Schley gives no sign of this
in his report to the Admiral, unless
his reference to the victory being big
enough for all of us" was q slv dig at
Sampson. A notable feature of the
reports of Commodore Schley and
Captains Evans and CLARK was their
high praise of the officers and crews of
the Brooklyn, Texas and Oregon for
their conduct in the battle.
Official dispatches from Gen. Shafter
bear ont the contentious of those who
have been claiming right along that
the cases Of yellow fever in our army
were much more numerous than any,
thing given out by the War Depart
ment indicated. More than 2,4OO of
Skaters men, about ten per cent. of
them are now down with the fever,
and more than five hundred who have
returned to duty.
According to Skaters statemant,
that ii OF sulks in which Gen. Garcia
took himself and his insurgents away
from the vicinity of our army was
inevitable, since Garcia asked for more
than Shafter had any authority to give
him, in the way of official recognition
for himself and the government he
represents. Among other things Garcia
wanted to sign the articles of capitula-
ton, something that Gen. Shafter
himself did not do, they being signed
only by the Commissioners who repre-
sented the two armies in drawing
them up. Dem.
Arrest of Petty Thieves.
| Raw Sickols and Charles Jackson