Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-25
WAR OR PEACEP

1t cannot be too often or too strongly
asserted that even if the naval board of
inquiry should report that the Maine
was destroyed by some external agency
and under circumstances which seem to
indicate that Spain was in some manner
responsible for 1t, either through the
malice Of fanatic or through lack Of
official diligence on the part of the au-
thorities, the event would not be a, casus
properly be adjusted through the usual
medium of diplomatic intercourse.
If such a disaster had happened to an
American warship in French, German
or Italian port, the principles govern
ing international conduct would be in
no respect different from those which
apply to the present emergency. The
fact that warlilSe operations have been
going on in Cuba for almost exactly
three years, and that popular sympathy
in this country seems to have been
strongly enlisted in behalf of the Gu
bans, has nothing to do with the settle
ment of whatever complaint we may
have to make against Spain because Of
the loss of the Maine. No consideration
is here given to the supposition that
Spain might have had official cognizance
of this hypothetical attack upon an
American warship, for such a supposi-
tion is not only improbable, but diplo-
matically impossible. The intent itself
would be an act of war.
Assuming, however, that the disaster
might have been caused by some evil
minded subject of Spain, whether Span
ish or Cuban, or that it was caused by
the explosion of a submarine mine, and
that in either case the officials did not
exert the prescribed due diligence" for
the protection of the visiting warship of
friendly nation, Spain's liability in the
premises would properly be subject
for diplomatic adjustment and possibly
of international arbitration, much as in
the case of the privateering claims
which our government made against
England at the close of the civil war.
If both governments are left free to act,
free from an irresistible warlike clamor
on the part of the people, there is a
peaceful settlement at hand. If Spain
is wise, she would, under the circum-
stances, consent to speedy, and. as far
as may be, a satisfactory reparation
Money, of course, is never a compensa-
tion for the loss of human life. For
this there can be no compensation.
We are not sure but that the decision
of board of arbitration in the matter
of indemnity might render decision
that would lead directly to the settle
ment of the whole Cuban question, but
there is a growing belief that interven-
ton on the part of the United States
would meet with protest from certain
European nations which might place
position, even though there were no i'm
piled threat of war. We told England
that the Monroe doctrine did not admit
of the extension of European dominion
on either of the American continents,
and though there were growls from the
rest of Europe, our dctum was re-
spected. Prohibition of the extension of
empire, however is quite a different
thing from driving European power
out of lands she already holds in Ameri-
ca. This distinction was overlooked or
ignored in the preamble of the resolu-
| tions presented in the senate by Popu-
list Allen of Nebraska, but it cuts the
ground wholly from under his resolution
so far as it relates to the Monroe doc
trine. AS the conditions now are,
neither government wants war and it is
likely there will be no war, unless popu-
lar passions in Spain or the United
States become so excited as to force