The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-03-04
WAR Would Be WELCOME
Spaniards in Cuba Want
Present Strain Relieved
THE SUSPENSE is KILLING
Offic Urge the Government to Demand
an Ultimatum of the United States
Regarding Maine Disaster at Once.

an Ultimatum of the United States
Regarding Maine Disaster at Once.
New York, March 3.-The Spanish
government officials in Cuba are pray
ing for relief from strain which they
cannot endure much longer. 1t is not
encouraging when officers of high rank
in the army who deplore the Maine
catastrophe as deeply and as sincerely
as do the American people, beg to de-
mand that if the United States "in-
tends" to make the disaster cause
for going to war, it shall do so quickly,
says the Havana correspondent of the
Tribune.
These expressions do not represent
the settled convictions of those by
whom they are uttered. They are ut
terances of men overburdened with
anxiety and uncertainty. In their
calmer moments these officers would
be the first to accept the mediation OF
the United States as the best means of
helping Spain out of her desperate
situation in Cuba. Under the present
strain they do not accept it. They
complain that the thorough and COM
prehensive investigation which the
naval court of inquiry is making is too
slow, and they profess to believe that
instead of conducting an impartial in
vestigation to learn the facts, the court
is trying to make out case of foul
play.
There are representatives of the mill
tary arm of the government, who do
not believe anything of the kind. They
only talk to relieve their overburdened
minds If the clouds which the Maine
disaster has thrown over the relations
of Spain and the United States were
cleared away the international compli-
cations would not be lessened. The
loss of the American warship and its
crew had nothing to do with the series
of minor military successes which the
insurgents are gaining in all parts of
the island. That is due to the de-
moralization of the Spanish troops.
Gomez keeps almost within range of
the railroad and telegraph in Santa
Clara province. He could not do so if
Spain was able to carry ON an effective
campaign.
The so-called crisis in the autono-
mist cabinet is another thing which
the United States has nothing to do.
The crisis is not dangerous one, be-
cause Gown and his radical colleagues
have the support of the Sagasta minis
try. Galvez, Montero and Zayas, who
are all that remain of the conservative
autonomists, may not indorse the plan
to open negotiations with the insur-
gents and to offer Gomez a place in the
Cuban government, but their resigna-
tions are not expected. The Sagasta
ministry approves the scheme of max
ing further concessions to the insur-
gents, and with this knowledge men,
bers of the autonomist cabinet who
disapprove it are likely to be passive.
The junta in New York has already
rejected the propositions. That is not
so important as the repudiation of
them which will come from Gomez
Then nothing will remain for the gov
ernment of Spain except to confess the
failure of autonomy and more than au-
tonomy to restore peace and save her
sovereignty in Cuba. The confession
cannot await the election of the cortes
in April.