The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-04

! Washington. April S.-The opinion,
almost universally held in Washing
ton tonight by leading public men and
diplomats, is that the crisis will reach
/ its climax this week, and that the ques-
+ ton of war or peace will be determined
within the next seven days. Senators
and representatives met and conferred
all day about the gravity of the situa-
/ ton, and at the White House the pres
/ ident consulted with several members
of his cabinet and other confidential
/ advisers regarding the message which
: he is preparing to send to congress. AT
the state, war and navy buildings. ac-
tive work was going on, and altogether
/ II has been day of suppressed feel
ing. No day has been announced as
the day when the message will be sent
10 congress, and it is believed il will
not go in tomorrow. 1t is believed that
more probably Wednesday or Thurs
day viii be the day selected.
DELAY IS URGED.
Besides the physical work of pre-
pairing the comprehensive document
upon which the president expects to
] rest his case with the world, there are
other reasons why those in charge of
the war preparations VIII welcome ev-
cry hours delay. War material which
we have ordered abroad is not vet
shipped, and the factories in this coun-
try will work day and night making
powder and prOjectileS and are anxious
for delay. Some of the factories in
Connecticut with contracts have tele-
graphed Representative Hit, urging
all delay possible. They say every day
now is precious.
WHAT WILL HE SAY?
There is still a divergence of opinion
as to what the president will recon-
mend in his message; indeed, there
seems to be still a question as TO
whether the president will make any
specific recommendations. Some of
his most intimate friends, however. as
sert emphatically that the presidents
recommendations will be specific and
vigorous and such that his party and
the country could willingly follow when
he points the way. One of these said
tonight that the president. in his strong
desire for peace and earnest hope that
war might possibly be averted. was
yielding somewhat TO the sentiment of
the leaders of his party and the coun-
try. He has not given up hope yet
that hOStiHtieS may be averted- There
are those who believe the president has
not yet made up his mind as TO the
exact course he will pursue, and there
seems to be a question as to whether
the consular reports and the diplomatic
correspondence is TO be transmitted
with the message
TRYING ON THE CONGRESS.
The suspense causing necessary de-
lay in the preparation of the message
is very trying on the members OF the
house. and the most universally dis
cussed question in Washington tonight
is whether congress can be restrained
until the message is transmitted. All
case for the worlds inspection and the
care which must be exercised, and
there seems to be no disposition to un-
duly hasten the president. The party
leaders are extremely anxious 10 avoid
a breach with the executive, such as
would occur if congress were TO take
the initiative. After a careful canvass
OF the situa ton today they believe the
radical Republicans can be held in line
a few days lonSer, until Wednesday, at
least.
The conference of the Republicans of
the house who have been insisting on
prompt action. hold another meeting
tomorrow night While many of them
are now in favor of giving the presi-
dent more leeway than they were last
week, it is realized that % Republican
votes in the house would, with the
Democratic and POpulist votes, be SUI
Iicient to act.
PRO-CUBAN REPUBLICANS.
1t can be pretty confidently asserted
that all the Republicans of the house.
with possibly the exceptions which
could be counted on the fingers of one
hand. can be controlled until Wednes-
day. After that, what might happen
if the president asks for further delay
is problematical. Mr.. Cromwell (O),
for instance who says ne hopes he will
not be obliged to part company with
the president. says he viii vote with
the Democrats, if necessary, to Overrule
the speaker after Wednesday. Mr..
Cooper of Wisconsin has made sim
liar statement
LIKE SENATE REPORT.
The Republicans of the house COM
mittee on foreign affairs have held in
formal meetings today and have prac-
tically agreed to report a resolution
of tenor similar to that agreed upon
by the foreign relations committee OF
the senate.
Those resolutions win be practically
agreed upon by the committee tomor-
row. but will not be reported until the
president sends his message to con-
gress. although there is at least one OF
the Republicans of the committee who
is in favor of formally reporting them
tomorrow.
Mr.. Adams. the acting chairman Of
the committee in the absence of Mr..
Hit. saw the president today and in
formed him of the probable. action Of
the committee All the Republicans
called upon Mr.. Hit at his residence
during the day.
FORECAST OF MESSAGE.
1t is understood that the message to
be sent to congress by the president
will include q very comprehensive
statement of the relations of the
United States to the Cuban question
One member of the cabinet said today
it would cover a period of perhaps 80
years, would detail at length what
had been the policy of the past admin
istration. how President Mckinley
found matters when he was inaugu-