The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-03-31

WASHINGTON, March 26.-Thoro is
absolute evidence that President Ir.
Kinley expects the commencement OF
hostilities with Spain in q very ICT
days.
Secretary Long, after the closing of
the navy department sent these instruc-
tions to all points in this country where
American war vessels are located:
Paint every ship in the North At
lantic squadron black"
The Spanish boats are black. White
is our peace paint and black will be our
fighting paint"
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Roosevelt, Fighting Bob" Evans, Com
modore Schley and other officers of high
rank and sound Judgment have ap-
pealed to President Mckinley in the
most urgent manner to issue an order
for the interception and capture or de-
struction of the Spanish torpedo fleet
before it reached Porto Rico.
The president was implored to send a
flying squadron Of three of our swiftest
cruisers to intercept the Spanish hotilla
the torpedoboats would hove no advant-
age in q fight, and where they could be
speedily sunk or disabled. When the
president objected that this would be
war, he was told that the coming of the
torpedoboats in face of our objections
was in effect an act of war on the part
of SPAIN and we would bitterly regret
it if we did not strike a swift and de-
cisive blow before the Spanish battle
ship destroyers could reach Porto Rico
or Havana.
While it was evident the appeals made
to him had good deal of effect ON the
president, they could not move him
from his purpose to let things take their
course.
President Mckinley is said not to
place undue confidence in the assurance
of the Spanish minister that the sending
of the fotilla was simply intended to
appease Spanish public opinion and help
Senior Sagasta in the impending cleo
ton, because Of the serious effect which
the presence of the flotilla will have,
but whatever diplomatic protests he
may have he will not authorize the
navy officers to do what they think the
occasion demands, unless some change
should occur in the general situation
which would justify him in believing
that his peacemaking is vain, and that
the time has come to strike.
If congress or the country should put
the worst construction on the Maine re-
port and draw the inference that the re-
sponsibility must be fixed ON Spanish
officials, all his intervention program,
which is based on the passive reception
of the report on Monday and its burial
in committee, will be upset, and this is
why he and his advisers all say that
they must wait until they see what hap.
pens when the report goes to congress
Monday before they can say absolutely
what will be done next
The president is reported as deter
mined, if all goes well Monday, to fol-
low it up Immediately with the rest Of
his program, as outlined in these dis
patches, and with hope of success after
congress shall have appropriated the
money for sending the supplies to the
destitute. There is said to be good
reason for saying that the Spanish gov
ernment will not treat this appropria-
ton as hostile act unless the terms of
the legislation are offensive, but will
accept it with thanks as friendly char
ity, and will draw the line only at the
delivery of food and supplies to the in
surgents in arms.
But the administration purpose is
apparently not to discriminate between
the starving i'll one part of the island
and the starving in another, and the in
surgents or the people within their lines
are to share in the distribution, and
this, apparently, Spain would treat as
giving aid and comfort to her rebellious
subjects aud amounting to an act Of