Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-07
Spain Again Mt Fault.

Tie President has again scored. Whether
there is need of calculation and delay, or of
prompt decision and action, he meets the
occasion equally we'll The destruction of
the Maine tested his powers in the one
case, as this intimation of Spain with re-
spect to General Lee has tested them in the
other. He is not to be ratified by clamor
either at home or abroad. All honor and
support to the man who now holds the
helm of the ship of stated
The question of the means to be en-
ploycd in sending supplies to the starving
people of Cuba is not of the first import
ance to us. Spain, however, seems to be
very sensitive the subject. Willing to
have her people fed by outside bounty, she
wishes to dictate the terms of the bene-
faction. She suggests that it will be irri-
tatinS if assistance Is sent on a warship
instead of on a merchantmen. The pres
ence of a gun on board would change in
her eyes the whole nature of the offering.
But our warships have a perfect right,
even without being the bearers of relief to
visit the friendly ports of friendly Cuba,
and there would be no reasonable irritation
if they came in the capacity of warships
instead of bringing help for the starving
and of offering life instead of death. One
of our warships, the one best adapted for
iIlc pose anu InOSl conveniently at
hand. will convey the relief. and very
clearly Spain cannot afford to lay stress
on her objections in this respect.
The important point is that in intimating
an objection to the presence of General
Lee in Havana Spain brought an indict-
ment against the government of the United
States itself
The consul general at Havana stands
fully Endorsed by his superiors He has
carried himself at his post So as to merit
and receive not only the approval but the
admiration of his country men in Office and
out. Hampered as he was for SC long by
The Cleveland policy, he had difficulty in
pointing out the path of duty. But at last
under the Mckinley administration he sue
ceeded AT last the Weylerian policy stood
fully revealed. Steps were taken by the
President 10 feed the starving thousands
the Jaiis were opened to allow American
c'tlZens unJustly incarcerated to walk out
Tree men again, and the stars and stripes
stood fer something in Cuba besides the
mere commercial transactions of the differ
ent consulates.
For his share in this General Lee has
Incurred the displeasure of Spain. But in
equal proportion he has endeared himself
tc his own home government and his OWE
hcme people What Spain proposed there
fore. Was, in effect. a severance of con-
sular relations in Havana with the United
States General Lee fills his office as the
people of this country demand that ii
shall be filled. and consequently he could
have no successor following lines differing
from those that he has pursued. The ac-
qUiescence by Spain in the refusal to recall
Lee removed for a time at least what
might easily have developed into a fruitful
cause of trouble.
The case of the United Staues-always
strong-was never so strong as it is at this
moment. Spain-always at fault-was
Ieyer so conspicuously az fault she was
at the moment when she suggested the re-
call of General Lee, and criticised the
terms of a bounty for those for whose hap
less condition she herself stands RESPONSE
Bile. For the present, however, in the light
of her latest communication ''alls we'll that
ends we'll She viii not insist upon Lees
recall, and very clearly she will not fire
upon a ship bearing relief to her starving
subjects merely because that means of con-
yeyance possesses an armament