The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-26
WHEN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
BEGIN.

It is not known that any negotiations
looking to peace are on. but ali expect
that it will not be very long before such
negotiations are begun. as it is gen.
orally thought that Spain is c-x.ous
for peace, and is merely hesitating to
take step that is Inevitable because
of her great pride.
The war was undertaken for a defin-
lite AID specific purpose and that was
the establishment of liberty and a
stable government, to be of the Cubans
own choosing. in Cuba That object
has not been accomplished or anything
| like it. Two Spanish fleets have been
/ destroyed; the Ladrones, and now
probably the Caroli-e islands, have
been seized by the United States, AID
i TIE port of Manila seized; the Philip
pines have not yet been, though they
III obably will be. The city of Santiago
has been captured and some twenty
odd thousand Spanish soldiers have
surrendered. This IS what has been
accomplished by the war; it is much,
and it may be said to paralyze Spain so
cerned. but the avowed object of the
war has rot been accomplished. If it
is not accomplished before peace ne
gotiations begin, the position of this
country will he more or less awkward.
Spain has not been expelled from
Cuba, that task being left to the very
last: i fact had not Cervera's fleet
taken refuge in Santiago harbor there
is 70 reason TO believe that there
would have been any campaign against
Santiago; the climatic argument would
have been urged against it just as it
has been urged against any operations
against Havana; and with just as much
reason. At Havana, Blanco has 1OO,-
coo Spanish soldiers and 10000 volun-
teers That they can fight we have
learned, and could they make their
choice they would choose to fight.
Suppose, now. that Spain makes
overtures for peace, among others be-
ing proposition to quit Cuba and sur
render her sovereignty over it provided
certain of her colonies are restored to
her The United States would be
placed in a very awkard position should
they Deremptorily refuse to entertain
any such proposition. Spain could very
truthfully say that Cuba was any
thing but a colony. that she had there
an army at least half as large as the
regular ard volunteer army of the
United States. 1t might be answered
on behalf of this country that it could
easily put an army in Cuba that could
vanquish the Spanish army. While that
is very true. it would be rather unbe-
coming a great nation that was coz
Quoting peace negotiations.
If Cuba is not freed before peace
negotiations are begun, it is going 10
place the United States in a disagree
able and unenviable position, for it
will leave big trump in SPANS hands.
and the negotiations on her part will
be skilled diplomatatists who know the
value of every card they hold, ard
how to play it to the best advantage.
This country will forfeit a great ad-
Vantage if, when the negotiations for
peace begin, it is not master of Cuba.
1t IS rot that now. and there is no
use II trying to disguise the fact; tha
United States can become master Of
Cuba, but not so easily as was imagined
when the war started. The fall OF
Havana would mean the fall of Cuba,
and no time should be lost in preparing
TO bring that fan about. Not to do
it viii be a mistake, the bad co2se-
cuences OK which will be seen when it
comes to settling the terms of peace.