The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-03-14

cial circles that the President is in
formed fully about the state of mind
of the country and Congress. He
knows the country does not want war
just for the sake of fighting another
nation; and, on the other hand, that
business men in this country would ap-
plaud if it became the choice between
war and pusillanimity and war was
| chosen.
| Happily, so far no restraint is neces-
sary against a wanton fight, and also
happily, the alternative of war or pu-
sillanimity is not presented yet. The
President and Cabinet are looking it
all over and assume that Spain will
offer reparation if the Maine was
blown up through the insecurity of Ha-
yana harbor. They are bound to as
sumo that the rushing into print Of
Captain Peral of the Spanish Board Of
Inquiry may be indicative of stubborn
ness, but they are willing to excuse
that by saying it may have been done
without official sanction, or that Spain
may have found it necessary for tenn
porary purposes to counterfeit advance
facts showing an external explosion,
and that it is as the Herald has pub
lished. But until the report comes, the
Presidents mind will be left open
No living man, the Cabinet says,
could be expected to map out rigid
line to be followed. The temper of
Congress and the temper of the people
must be taken into consideration. 1t
is found that a proposition looking to
the compulsion of peace by joint inter-
vention in Cuba of the United States
and England had been considered. I
found that friends close to the Presi-
dent had manufactured hypothetical
cases out of possibilities in which ar
bitration might play part. Great
stress has been laid on the favor with
which international arbitration, as a
means of avoiding war, is regarded in
this country. This may yet figure in
the official correspondence and I am
not permitted to give the view enter
tanned as to it's possible acceptance.
Then there is a question as to what
shall be done about the Cuban question.
The Herald has repeatedly shown the
view entertained here at this time that
war must end, but that is merely a
secondary or kindred proposition pre-
Dictated on the assumption that Span
iards blew up the Maine, and that in
ternational friction or worse is to fol-
low when we officially disclose it. The
Cabinet is not united on any policy that
can be made contingent. on any out
come of the Maine disaster.
If we must have reprisal then the
recognition of the independence Of
Cuba will come and that will probably
be casus belli. But if Spain satisfies
us about the Maine, what then? The
country is back to the old position that
it occupied a month ago. On what
grounds are we to interfere? On a hu-
manitarian ground? This question was
asked me and he who asked it went
over the whole question of the recon-
centrados and compared it with the Ar
menian trouble, which set the whole
civilized world aflame. He inquired
whether we were to go ahead to right
abuses, heart-rending beyond descrip
ton though in the face of a certainty
that we would have war on our hands;
when the civilized nations Of Europe
held their hands off the Armenian ques-
ton because war would have followed
interference. And then if we interfered
what were we to do with Cuba when
Spain was driven out. Were we to an
mex the island or were we to have an
other revolutionary republic at our
doors? These questions are perpleXing.
Who will answer them? The conclu-
sions / draw from my conversations
with men whose views go to make up
this dispatch are that the President
yields to no one in patriotism, but that
we will have no war of our own seek
ing He will do all in his power to
avert it, always looking for guidance
to the American people, and stunning
all suggestions be they peaceful or war
like that would compromise dignity
and honor.