The record-union., 1898-03-27


President Mckinley has cabled two
notes to Spain this week through Min
lister Woodford. One deals with
the destruction of the Maine, the other
with President McKinley's plan of hu-
manitarian intervention by the United
States in the Cuban war Both notes
are expressed in strong, firm language
without suggestion of threat. They are
perhaps merely preliminary.
For the destruction of the Maine the
President demands no indemnity He
merely acquaints the Madrid Govern
ment with the facts that the Naval
Court of Inquiry finds that the ship
was blown up in Havana harbor by an
external agency, and that nothing but
a mine or a torpedo of the largest size
could have wrought such destruction.
The President submits the facts to the
Spanish Government and waits reply.
AS to the war in Cuba, President Nc
Kinley advised the Spanish Govern
ment in the politest terms that the time
is fast drawing near when the United
States would be compelled to act upon
the warnings so often given to Spain
since the struggle in Cuba began.
The President clearly intimated hat
the war in Cuba must cease, but he
fixed no date. The note thus makes
the question of Cuban intervention
paramount to the Maine disaster, which
the Presidents memorandum refers to
merely as a lamentabIe incident. The
issues and problems of the Cuban war
the United States Government now calls
urgently to the attention of Spain, de-
claring that the conditions now prevail
ing in Cuba, so near the shores Of the
United States, have long been intoIer-
able to the American people.
Spain was reminded by Minister
Woodford that the action of the Presi-
dent and his representatives during the
present and late Administration has
always been aimed at the preservation
of peace and the promotion of cordial
relations with Spain. She has the wild
est scope in choosing her own methods
to restore peace in her American colo
MES, and has failed. The United States
against it's own wishes and desires, has
become convinced that Spain has
made no substantial progress, either
toward the pacifcation of Cuba or the
realization of the aspirations Of the
people of her colonies
Reports from the United States Con-
suls, like those Of agents of all other
Powers who have opportunities for in
quiry, have been most unfavorabIe to
Spain.
President Mckinley signifies to the
Government of Spain his intentions OF
Immediately communicating all of the
official facts in his possession respect
ing Cuba and the Maine report, prob
ably, also to Congress. He further
contemplates steps which will make
the distribution of relief by the United
States to the Cubans more effective and
upon a much larger scale.
The nearest approach to a threat in
President McKinley's memorandum
which is said to be strongly argued and
couched in the most diffident but I'M
mistakable terms, is the statement that
in making fresh contributions for the
relief of the suffering people of Cuba
the American people expect a practi-
cal time assigned for the complete res
tOration of peace and order in that
island.
SPANS REPLY.
The Spanish reply is equally firm. II
resolutely asserts the intention of Spain
not to tolerate any invasion of Spanish
rights or any step intended to lead tC
the overthrow of the Spanish rule il
Cuba. Spain deprecates sending whole
sale relief in the manner suggested by
President Mckinley, on the ground
that it will encourage rebels (separat-
lists is the term applied even if il
does not lead to actual conflict between
the authorities of the United States
and Spain. But Spain does not refuse
the aims. She Will not resist this
step, probably.
Spain lays much stress upon the eff
forts she has made to satisfy the views
of the United States and to preserve
cordial relations while endeavoring tC
implant home rule and thus hasten the
pacification of Cuba, which has beer
retarded so long only because of the
moral and material assistance giver
from the United States, and large
rebellion fund raised in North America
On the Maine question Spain make:
conciliatory, but vague responses, hop
ing that a just solution will be found
declining to accept the American nava
courts verdict as final and suggesting
possible arbitration of the entire ques-
ton, along with her own claims against
the United States.
CAUSE OF THE MAINE DISASTER
LONDON, March 27.-The Sunday
Specials Berlin correspondent tele-
graphs:
Il have learned from Embassado1
White that Emperor William has ex-
pressed his belief that the Maine was
not destroyed from the outside. In or
der to study the cause of the Maine
destruction the Emperor commanded
that the Naval Committee, presided
over by Admiral Knorr, should study
series CT exhaustive reports which ne
had cabled from Havana. These re-
ports deal infinitely with the condition
of the hull of the Maine, and were sup
plemented with accurate plans showing
the injury thereto. The committee con-
Guided that the explosion was due te
the overheating of coal bunkers, and
not to a torpedo or mine"
According to the correspondent, Mr.