The evening times., 1898-03-24
ANU SEAIENTS.
COwARDS WITH THE STRONG.
Spafn's Other West Indian Posses
sion RiDc for Revolt

No encouragement for the final appeal TO Spain
to accept mediation comes from Cuba. That ap-
peal, or demand, Spain 10 accept mediation
NAV be made but those who ought TO be most
conyersant with the situation viii be surprised
if there is consent. A Cuban by birth and an
American by education and naturalization, men,
Der of one Of the oldest and. before the war, one
of the wealthiest families on the island. in a
letter which reached Washington from Havana
this week. writes;
81 cannot see the wisdom of the road that
Government is taking now. | really think that
to try to persuade Spain to come to understand
ing by diplomatic ways is nothing less than losing
and wearing away time. What has Govern
ment gained in these three years? Nothing but
great deal of trouble Our citizens IN Cuba,
our commerce. all of our interests, have been
suffering And now lose one Of our best ships
and nearly 800 of our best men. Do you think
this is acting in a wise manner? Can not our
Government that Spain is playing with her the
very same game she has adopted with the Cubans
since the ten years war; For seventeen years
Spain has been deceiving Cubans with the promise
OF autonomy, thing that was never intended
to be granted And now she comes to offer them
this same autonomy so long promised and with
held because she feels obliged to do so. She makes
the offer because she is not able to hold II back
any longer. not because she has been persuaded
tv any diplomatic action of the United States,
but because she is forced TO il by the success OF
the insurrection. So long as the United states
always find a way of deceiving and of escaping
all kinds of pressure. II she has yielded TO the
Cubans by force the lOng-withheld autonomy, will
she not yield TO the demand of the United States
If it is backed by the certainty of force?
Spain will never give up the island unless she
is forced TO do so. There must be the certainty
that force is behind the demand and then she will
yield have no doubt that the Cubans, left en-
trey to themselves, will be able to drive Spain
out but this will be only when nothing is left
on the island. II the United States should open
her mouth with word given in real meaning
and in strong intention, Spain would evacuate
but too quick To think that she will show fight
is altogether absurd. Tell me, my friend, where
is the coal which she has stored. think that in
the three years in which she has pretended to be
expecting war with the United States, if she had
had anv intention of Offering real resistance to
that country. the very first thing she would have
done would have been to accumulate a good sup
ply of coal within a short distance of Cuba, if not
on the island herself She might have been afraid
to store IT here but she would have had il con-
venient. Where is that coal? have never heard
that Spain has made any preparation OF this
kind. And now. right at this time, would she,
if she expected TO actually resist the United
States, not have sent more men-of-war here to
have them ready for the beginning of hostilities
She may make a kind of resistance. but no more.
She is not serious about war with the United
States. If Spain is thinking that these people
on the island are going TO he loyal to her and
help her against the United States, / think she is
making a big mistake. They have not helped Spain
against the insurgents who they say, are weak,
and when the opportunities offered to come out
against the insurgents and help the mother coun-
try win victories. They not going to do it
now against a big nation when they sure
they would be routed Remember this, the SpaD
iards are brave with the weak, but towards with
the strong.