The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-03-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.

he were certain that war is to come
His head has not been turned even q
little bit by the extraordinary conf
dence rerosed in him by Congress, IN
putting by unanimous vote $4,000, OUC
in his hands to be used for national de-
Tense. He is cool and deliberate, just
as he has been from the first. He calmly
ignores the sensational reports of This
or that European nation being about to
form an alliance with Spain, and is as
fully determined as ever to maintain
National honor at all hazards.
Notwithstanding various contrary as
sertlons, 1t is fact that neither the
President nor the Secretary Of the Navy
has rece ived from any member Of the
Maine Court Of Inquiry, a single word
intIinating what the report of the Court
will be. They have, of course, like all
other intelligent men, formed an opin-
ion from the evidence that has appeared
in the columns of respectable news
papers, OF what the probable nature OF
plosion, will be, but they have no in
side knowledge of what the court has
done or Will do, and expect none. any
more than they would expect advance
intimation of hat a decision of the [.
:. Supreme Court would be in any
given case it might have under consid-
Grafton. There will be no delay in act
ing as soon as the report, which the
President will accept as final, is made,
and Spain will not be allowed to delay
responding TO the demands of this gov
eminent, if it be shown that the Maine
was blown up from the outside, and OF
that there is now very little doubt
While the President is keeping his own
counsel as to the demand that will be
made upon Spain, it can be set down as
certain that it will be one that will be
indorsed by the entire American peo-
pie, just as the Presidents policy has
been up to the present time, and it is
generally believed that it will include a
proposition for definite settlement Of
the trouble in Cuba. There are already
strong Indications that Spain has adj
opted policy of delay, which it will
seek to carry out. but it will seek in
vain. 1t will either have to meet our
demands promptly or fight.
No Quaker could profess greater
brotherly love for the United States
than does the new Spanish Minister,
who Was presented President Mckinley
Saturday He talked as though peace
were assured and that his greatest anx-
iety Is to complete a reciprocity treaty
with US. This talk isn't throwing any
sand in anvbody's eyes.
The confidence felt by Congress in
the President is duplicated by that re-
posed by the President in his Secre-
taries of the War and Navy, and by
that placed in their Bureau Chiefs by
those Secretaries. An instance of this
confidence Is the case of Gen. Fiagler,
Chief OF Ordinance, who has been au-
thorlzcd by Secretary Alger to place
orders Tor as much war material as he
may deem necessary under existing
circumstances. Cen. Flag!er has di-
rected al makers of both guns and am
munltlen TO run trieir establishments to
their full capacity until further orders.
But no waste or extravaganza is to be
count"nanced in either the War or
Navy Department.; every dollar spent
Will be upon estimates, approved not
only by the Secretary, but by the Pres
ident, and in writing at that.
Congress is very decidedly opposed
to anything that might be construed by
the world as an alliance between the
[. :. and Great Britain. The feeling
against 'entangllng foreign compl!ca-
tons is quite az stron. now as it was
in the days Of George WASH. gton. We
DO not need any help from England to
fight our battles, ana We 10 not intend
to help England to fight her battles.
This feeling has been strongly ex-
pressed since the idea became preva-
lent that England was trying to make
use of the probability Of a war with
Spain to invcigle the L. : into an al
liance offensive and defensive with her
1t IS all very pretty to talk about an al
lance between the Engish-speakin.
people being strong enough to domin-
ate the world, but the t. :. isn't in the
domnatin. business, aud has no idea
Of going into it. Besides, it has many
and growing commercial interests tina,
are necessarily directly opposed e
those of England and other European
nations. Having successfully PLAYED a
lone hand for more than century, and
managed to make more progress than
any other nation on earth. it isn't Xix '
that the |. :. would care TO hamper it.
self with a partner now.
The building of three new battleshlps
to be as good as the best now ahoat
and one of them to be named Maine
! is authorized by the Naval Appropria.
/ ton Hi1