The herald., 1898-03-30
AND CANNOT SEE HOW IT CAN BE
AVOIDED
SPAIN MAY WELCOME WAR
As the Least Disagreeable Method
Presented to Her Of Letting
Go Of Cuba
Associated Press specia, wire

NEW YORK, March ga special to
the World from London says:
II can't see how war between the
United States and Spain can be avoid
ed" said Sir Charles Dixie to the World
correspondent last night.
ut is impossible to express opinions
upon such meager details Of the find
ings Of the Court Of InQhiry as have
been published here, but affairs have
come to such a pass with Spain that she
may welcome war as the best means of
| getting rid of Cuba. 1t has become such
a milestone around her neck that she
must free herself from it somehow and
to the proud Spaniard war would be the
least disagreeable way.
| II don't think mediation by any Euro
pean power is likely. Mediation could
only proceed on the basis of some species
of autonomy and to any further attempt
ed solution in that direction the Cubans
will not assent.
1T has been evident for the last IS
months that Spain can never, by any
system OF autonomy or by force Of
arms regain control over Cuba. But
Spain won't give it up without fighting
Neither country has a fleet large
| enough to enable it to obtain decisive
command of the sea within short pc
Rod. Therefore 1t Is difficult to fore
cast the duration Of hostilities. could
speak more definitely if I knew how
soon the United States can complete the
| four large warships she is building, for
they would exercise a decisive influence"
| DANGER AT HAVANA
| NEW YORK, March pa special to
the Herald from Washington says:
| Havana's quiet is in danger of being
disturbed by another outbreak such as
occurred in the Cuban city just before
the late Maine dropped anchor in Its
harbor.
| Consul-General Lee has cabled to the
State Department that the situation is
critical. There is danger of further
riots growing out of the intense anti
American feeling among the Weylerites.
In the light Of General Lees dispatch
the American authorities are now quite
| as much concerned about the situation
in Havana as they are over the fear that
Congress will attempt to force the
hands of the President. 1t is now re-
garded as one of the danger points Of
the situation. The Navy Department Is
keenly on the alert. The State Depart
ment transmitted Consul-General Lees
message to Secretary Long and he at
once informed Captain Sampson, COM
mander- in chief of the fleet at Key
West, Of the character of it's contents.
Captain Sampson is in direct commune
cation with General Lee, and at the
slightest sign of trouble message from
the Consul-General to the naval officer
will result in the arrival of man Of war
in Havana harbor within four hours.
CUBAN ELECTIONS
i NEW YORK, March ga dispatch
to the Herald from Havana says:
The elections seem to have passed off
without incident and about as expected.
Of the thirty Deputies to be elected to
the Spanish Cortes, twenty had been al
lotted to the Autonomists and ten to the
Unconstitutionalists. In three cases
the plans were upset, resulting in net
gain of one to the Autonomists, giving
them total of twenty-five.
In the contests only one was of inter-
est even to Americans in Havana. That
was in the district which returned Senior
Ramon Mendes Alaniz, an Unconstitu-
tionalist. Senior Mendes is the censor in
Havana and consequently often comes
in for more than his share of harsh
| WOIdS, pal tlCuldlly AIOlH newspaper COT
respondents whose dispatches are passed
by him.
La Lucha says: America has long
sought an excuse to interfere in Cuba,
alleging that American interests suf-
fered on account of the instruction. For
time the Maine incident was kept up
permost, but now that the Court of In
quiry has served the purpose for which
nd No e.,
Sigsbees reputation and President Nc
| Kinley's popularity, a return is made
to the original demand that the Cuban
war must cease. The bull is in the ring.
We may know what to expect.
eff the Americans want Cuba, let them
win it by the deeds Of their guns, but the
old saying goes that He who wants ce-
lestial blue must pay for it. There is
always an advantage in going into a
quarrel with the wealthy. We have lit
tie to lose, and as our nails are so long
we may not come out of the conflict
empty handed"
SPANISH LIABILITY
NEW YORK, March 29.-Chauncey M.
Depew, who, while the cause of the
blowing up Of the Maine was in doubt
leaned to the accident theory, says, con-
corning the report Of the Court of In
quiry: 'It was a shock to me to learn
that the Maine was blown up by mine.
and it also is relief to know that it was
not due to the carelessness of our men
or to the construction of the ship.
"The report was shock to me because.
though it fixed no responsibility, it
was unquestionably the duty of the
Spanish government to place vessel of
a foreign navy on friendly visit to her
harbor in place free from mines While
it is inconceivable that any responsible
Spanish official could do so foolish an
act and one which would be followed by
such terrible responsibilities, still it was
the plain duty of Spanish officials to in
dictate place of safe anchorage. Fail
ing in that the liability Of Spain for in
demnity for the loss of the ship and
crew is perfectly plain.
president Mckinley has conducted
this affair with great prudence, discern
ment and wisdom. He is in a position to
solve the question of peace or war. The
solution may safely be left in his hands.
I think Congress should clothe him with
full power. He has accomplished much
in securing permission to feed the peo-
pie brought within the Spanish lines by
their war policy. Unless the Spanish
government had made UP it's mind to ac-
cede to the whole of Mr. McKinley's
F, program it would not have yielded this
point. which is confession Of its own
INABILITY tO keen tho noonIo fro,,,