Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-14
THURSDAY MARCH IA, 1898
No DECISION VEL

No decisive action m Jhe Spanish
American question has yet bon taken by
Congress Yesterday the Committee ON
Foreign Affairs Of tho House and the
COMMITTEE ON Foreign Relations of the
Senate both made TO their respective
branches report on the Presidents mes
sage. bur contrary to the predictions 81
those who know IL all. the matter was
not brought To a final crisis.
The House report or resolution. is pretty
clear and TO the point. Is authorizes and
directs the President 10 intervene 'at
once" 10 stop the war i'm CUBS, TO the
end. and with the purpose of securing
permanent peace and order there and
establishing by the free action OF the
peoplc thereof stable and independent
government OF their own on the islard.
and the President is authorized and em-
uower,d 90 use the land and naval forces
Of The United States to execute the pur-
pose of the resolution. The Senate Ieso-
lutions-for there are several of thcm-arc
mi!dcr and more diplomatic. After sct-
ting forth that the people of Cuba arc.
and. of right ousht 10 be, free and indie
pendent" they demand of Spain thlt she
reHnquish her authority ana government
Oh the island. and withdraw her troops
therefrom, and empower and direct tha
President to Use our naval ana land
forces 10 make the resolutions effective.
Both reports have a preamble feature,
but the above gives the gist of each.
The House report was adopted by q
tremendous majority but the Senate re-
port went over and it is regarded as more
than possible that the latter will elicit
considerable debate. Yet. even If there
is not further delay from this cause
committee of conference VIII be neces-
sary, unless one or the other of the
houses recedcs, and accepts the report Of
the other.
When the difference I'm the tone Of :hc
resolutions is considered, this does not
seem probable. The House is for imme-
diate action. and takes no coguizauce Of
"ifs" or lands" 1t holds out No. en-
couragement 20 the Madrid government
that further time will be granted. The
Senate resolutions tell Spain thar if .ae
does not do what We demand We viii
make her DO it. but the "if' is a sucees-
ton to her that she may possibly gain
further time. They invite the Sacasta
ministry To ask for another breathing
spell, in which to consider the ways and
means Of satisfying Us. Taken together
with the Presidents message, they are a.
bid to Spain to attempt further tempo
rizing in the hope that something will
turn up.
With me very beginning Of the contro-
versy Spain started TO fight for time, and
her struggle TO that end has become
more and more desperate as the crisis be-
came more and more acute. And that
she still pins her faith 10 delay and is
still struggling for it - shown by last
nights adyices from Madrid. II seems
patent that she is aiming to keep US
shilly-shallying until We get In such posi-
ton that whether it be peace or war we
will be discredited in the eyes oc the other
Powers. The more delay she can secure
the less chance there Is that by forcin.,
the issue we can compel her 90 comply
with all Of our demand. without war
Therefore, whether il is TO be war or
no.. IL were we'll that whatever We pro
pose to DO were done quickly We sim
hope it will be peace, and we believe that
the quicker and more unequiyocally we
make Il known that we mean business.
the greater the possibilities for ptace-and
peace 10 our credit.