Washington sentinel., 1898-03-26
No Need 60 Keep Cuba waiting.

Ths country has entered on an
other week OF waiting for the Off
cial announcement OF the findings
ofthe Court OF Inquiry. The strain
of suspense is wearing out the
patience Of Congress, and all the
efforts Of the Administration are
exerted toward preventing hasty
action.
Butwhy should the whole Cuban
question wait for the verdict in the
case OF the Manner We already
know all that is to be known about
the condition of Cuba. The Court
OF Inquiry can add nothing to that.
Nothing has happened since the
destruction Of the Maine to alter
the situation there, except that
forty thousand Cuban women and
children have starved to death
while the divers have been trying
to discover whether our two hun
dred and fifty sailors were blown
up or blew themselves up.
1t would be advantageous in
every way to settle the fate Of Cuba
before dealing with the disaster to
the Maine. The explosion in the
bay oil Havana was an incident ol
the general welter of anarchy that
prevails wherever the Cuban Re-
public is not in full possession of
its territory. II we put it in pos
session there will be no more such
incidents, and it will be easy to
reach a satisfactory arrangement
with Spain about that one.
II Spain will concede the indie
pendence OF Cuba she will concede
suitable reparation for the loss oi
the Maine. If she will not consent
to Cuban independence, 1t makes
no difference what she may do
about the Maine; we shall have to
hight her in any case. 1t is best to
get the question of chief difficulty
and chief urgency out OF the way
FIRST.
II we should demand suitable
reparation for the loss of the Maine,
and Spain should concede all we
asked. the Cuban question would
still remain as threatening as ever,
unless our demand took the form
of a requirement that Cuba should
be free. II we insist upon Cuban
independence to begin with, and
Spain refuses, the resulting COLI
sion will give us chance to col
lect in our own way all the indem-
nifty we care to have for the loss Of
the Maine. The greater will in
clude the less.
Congress has waited a month
too long Tor the report OF the
Court Of Inquiry. 1t has been
misled by the intimations that the
affair Of the Maine would be
quickly disposed of. There is only
one reason for making Cuba wait
until a policy with regard to the
Havana explosion has been decided
upon, and that is that in the mean
time preparations for defence may
be completed.
But that work has been suffici-
emily done. We are strong enough
now to dispose Of any fleet Spain
can send against us, and our coast
cities are secure eveA against an
attack by a stronger naval power
than Spain might conceivably Sc
cure as an ally. We tan occupy
Havana tomorrow, il we choose,
and Spain is powerless either to
prevent US or to revenge the act.
Let US do at once what lies before
US. Let Congress declare without
further delay that the Republic oi
Cuba is free, sovereign and in
dependent State, one OF the family
OF American nations whose immu-
nifty from European aggressions is
guaranteed by the Monroe Doc
trine. Then the horrors OF recon.
centration will cease. and the de.
hberate processes of diplomacy il
dealing with the questions still lef
open will no longer be crime.