Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-04-01
LETTER.

THE SPANISH MATTER. PRESIDENT
MASTER OF THF DIPLOMACY. THE
SITUATION IN CONGRESS. INvEsTI-
CATIONS IN ALASKA. A TRIBUTE TO
AMERICAN SAILORS. NOTES ON THE
ARMY.
WASHINGTON, March 2S. 1898
President Mckinley is master of
the diplomatic game that Spain
wanted to play he has sent the
report of the Naval Court of inquiry
that the Maine was treacherously
blown up from the outside, to Com
gress, where it has been referred to
committees, and merely forwarded
copy of the report to Spain, without
accompanying it with any specific
demand. He has thus defeated the
intention of Spain TO play its own
alleged report, that the explosion
was internal, against the report of
our Courtand to ask that an inter-
national Court be selected to deter
mine which report should be accept
ed by both countries. Spain now
hoped to gain more time by that
dispute, but no dispute is to be rec
ognized by this government. The re-
port of our court is final. Spain
now has an opportunity to offer to
do the right thing, but no matter
what it does, President Mckinley
intends. as all the world will see in
a very few days, that peace shall
reign in Cuba, and starvation cease
to stalk over the Island.
The Congressional leaders of all
parties have been taken into the
confidence of President Mckinley
as to his plans, and in return on the
Maine report, but would allow the
matter to rest until the President
automatically informs Spain of his
intentions as to Cuba, and ascertains
whether these intentions will be
peaceably acquiesced in, or met by
war Meanwhile the President ac-
cepts the hint of the Spanish gov
erment that the fleet of torpedo
boats and torpedo destroyers have
been sent to Porto Rico for effect
upon the elections in Spain, and
not with hostile intentions towards
the United States.
Should that fleet, however, be start
ed from Porta Rico to Cuba, it will
be considered a hostile move against
this country and will be treated
accordingly In short, Spain must
choose whether it will retire from
Cuba peacefully, or be driven out.
That is just about where the mat
ter stands. President Mckinley is
prepared for either continger cy, but
wishes to give Spain last chance to
avoid trouble.
The Agriculture, Department will
this season, conduct two special in
vestigations in Alaska, one to ascer-
tain by practical experiments what
vegetables and cereals can be grown
in Alaska soil, and one, under the
auspices of the Weather Bureau, to
obtain information as to general
climatic conditions. These expert
ments will be more likely to deter
mine whether Alaska is to become
thickly populated, than the discov-
cries of the gold hunters.
Representative Foss, of Ill. paid
a splendid and deserved tribute to
American sailors, in a speech in the
House, from which the following is
extracted ;" The brilliant achieve
ments of the American sailor in the
war of our National independence,
when our Navy consisted of only a
small fleet of eight vessels, in COM
mand of Commodore Essex Hopkins,
early inspired feeling of pride in
our Navy. The names of Biddle
and Barry, and Nichols, and Whipple
and of others l might mention, re-
call the daring and bravery of that
period. If war should come and
we were obliged to protect the honor
of this country upon the sea, the
American people would soon dis
cover that the men in the Navy to-
day are fully as brave, daring and
eager to meet the foe, as the Ameri-
can sailors of the past, whose faith
and truth on wars red touchstone
rang true metal.
Nothing more significant of the
drift of everything towards war has
occurred than the order of Secretary
Long that all of our warships
should at once be painted a less con-
spicuous color than white, which
makes too good target.
If there is to be war, this govern
ment has no idea of confning it to
Cuba and the adjacent waters. No
plan has been OF will be made public,
but all the same there is a plan,
which will be promptly carried out,
to carry the war right into Spain
itself