The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-09
Not Word About Recognition
of Independence.
MUST STOP THE WAR
That is the Burden of the Mes
sage.
Method is Left to National Leg
iSlature.

New York. April "a special to the
World from Washington says: The
high privilege of seeing the presidents s
message has been accorded to only four
persons outside the cabinet, all leading
men in the national government-and
1t is most significant that each of these
four men now expresses his personal
belief that war is inevitable. Having
seen what the president will communi-
cate to congress they declare that no
other result is possible.
The opening part of the message is
devoted to a terse review of the whole
Cuban insurrection. 1t is shown that it
directly concerns the people of the Uni
ted States, their interests in the island
and on the high seas. The patience of
our people, what they have done and
what they have forebornet to do is pointed
out.
The president then recites specific
acts, showing the origin and spread of
anarchy in the island. He refers, in de-
tail to the devastation of fertile pIanta-
tions. He points out the starvation of
an innocent and inoffensive people as a
result of this anarchy, which the Span
ish government has never been able to
quell, and in which recently Spanish Of
fcers have participated.
This theme of existing anarchy, in
fact, runs all through the messag age-an-
archy, that is the whole history of the
Cuban war, as the president himself
terms it
1t is against this anarchy that the
forces of the United States are to be
promptly used if the Spanish govern
ment at the final hour does not grant
the concessions absolutely necessary to
remove and destroy it.
The president points out the justifica-
ton for interference by the United
States. In his opinion plainly and ex-
plicitly expressed this interference
should take the form of forcibIe inter
vention so that the anarchy and law
1essness now existing shall have an i'm
mediate end.
There are two counts in the indict-
ment drawn by the president, both due
to Spain's complete failure to maintain
law and order
The first count is the menace to the
commerce of the world and particularly
TO that part which is supported by the
United States and protected by it's flag
The president gives specific instances
of the depreciation of American COM
merce with the West Indies since the
virtual overthrow of civil government
tion of government which has its
foundation in anarchy.
But it is in the second count that the
president describes to the people of the
United States the terrible results of
this lawleSSness under Spanish rule
Here he deals with the destruction of
the Maine.
In plain forcible language. the presi-
dent declares that the blowing up of the
battleship in Havana harbor was the
direct result of the failure of Spanish
Cuban or any government claiming to
administer laws in the island of Cuba
to suppress the condition of anarchy
existing there.
Then there is set forth this note
worthy fact: The Spanish government
has not since the day the Maine was
destroyed, either though its diplomatic
representative in Washington or
through the American representative
IN Madrid disavowed the responsibility
for that destruction.
The president points out as evidence
OF the discourtesy of Spain, the failure
OF the government to establish the in
nocence of it's agents in connection with
the loss of so many lives on the ship of
friendly nation, within the jurisdic-
tlon OF its own alleged government
AS for Spain's protest against being
neld responsible for the loss of the bat
uesnlp. the president treats that as a