The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-03-31
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 30, 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 Congress, where
it has been referred to Committees,
and has merely forwarded a copy of
the report to Spain, without accom-
panying 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 Court and
to ask that an international court be
selected to determine which report
should be accepted by both countries.
Spain has hoped to gain more time
by that dispute, but no dispute is to
be recognized by this government.
The report of our Court is final.
Spain now has an opportunity to
offer to do the right thing, but no
matter what it does, President Nc
Kinley 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 con-
tidence of President Mckinley as to
his plans, and in return they have
promised that Congress would not
take any precipitate action on the
Maine report, but would allow the
matter to rest until the President
automatically informs Spain of his in
tentions as to Cuba, and ascertains
whether these intentions will be peace
ably acquiesced in, or met by war.
Meanwhile, the President accepts
the hint of the Spanish government
that the fleet of torpedo boats and
torpedo boat destroyers have been
sent to Porto Rico for effect upon the
elections in Spain, and not with hos
tile intentions towards the United
States. Should that fleet, however,
be started from Porto Rico to Cuba,
it will be considered hostile move
against this country and will be
treated accordingly. In short, Spain
chnnCa =
from Cuba peaceably, or be driven out.
That is just about where the matter
stands. Presidet Mckinley is prepar-
ed for either contingency, but wishes
to give Spain last chance to avoid
trouble.
The Agricultural Department will,
this season, conduct two special in
vestigations in Alaska. One to accer-
tain by practical experiments what
vegetables and cereals can be grown
in Alaskan soil, and one, under the
auspices of the Weather Bureau, to
obtain information as to general eli
mate conditions. These experiments
will be more likely to determine
whether Alaska is to become thickly
populated, than the discoveries of the
gold hunters.
Representative Foss, of Ills, paid a
splendid and deserved tribute to
American sailors, in a speech in the
House, from which the following is
extracted: 1.-THE brilliant achieve
ments of the American sailors in the
war of our National Independence,
when our Navy consisted of only
small feet of eight vessels in command
of Commodore Essex Hopkins, early
inspired feeling of pride in our
Navy. The names of Biddle and
Barry, and Nihcols and Whipple, and
Others | mention, recall the daring
and bravery of that period. If war
should come and we were obliged to
rely upon our Navy 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 tombstone
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 war ships should
at once be painted less conspicuous
color than white, which makes too
good a target.
If there is to be war, this govern ,
ment has no idea of combining it to
Cuba and the adjacent waters. No