Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-05-06

| iho'SiieiItS vi strangers VINO have been
Swallowed" afford cause for consider.
able anxiety. 1t is known at Wash.
lngton that Spain has had nnmbr,
ol secret service" agents at work in
all scaports OF the United States. who
report to trusted consuls who in turn
reported to the Spanish minister. The
government should have seen that the
hide and tallow went with the carcass
when Polo took his hasty exit few
weeks ago. These spies should be
treated as such whenever found and
sans ceremonie.
The Wilmington is having oceans
OF fun" with the Spanish forces near
Havana. Having been a river boat
she is OF light draft and can 60 near
shore. Her beat for patrol is about
IL miles from MORO Castle eastward.
Frequently Spanish troops appear on
shore shaking their carbines and ges-
tlculatlng as only Castlian can I'm.
der excitement. Sometimes thew 50
far forget discretion as to fire a few
bullets in direction of she WHINING.
ton. Then the fun begins. A shell
Is tossed into their midst from one of
the big guns and the excitement is in.
describably ludicrous. Men and horses
scamper in all directions, and for a
time the war spirit seems to have
come to an ignominious end.
The Brazilian minister in London
expressed to N. Y. Herald CORES.
pondent, few days ago, the warmest
sympathy for the United States in the
present struggle. ave have always
had friendly relations with the United
States" he said, "and they are likely
to remain so. The States are our best
customers. They take two-thirds OF
our coffee crop, valued at 100000
pounds. Thus our newspapers are
only expressing the popular sentiment
when they write sympathetically OF
the States. AS you are aware, Brazil
sold two cruisers to the States, built
in England, one of which was deliv.
cred, and the other is still in the
hands of the Armstrong;. We could
have sold them previously to Spain
but did not do So"
Chas. Thrall, an agent of the govern.
ment at Havana, says that there is
not yet any suffering of the people
from shortness of provisions rs q re.
suit of the blockade. He says that
the Spanish population are eager for
war. They think the Americans are
afraid to lombard the city and that
Spain is sure to win. When the fleet
arrived off Havana, it's appearance
produced quite different feeling, but
it was transitory. The inhabitants
were panic stricken, but the failure to
attack soon produced revulsion, and
after the squadron had been patroling
the coast 4S hours without firing a
gun, or answering Morro's fusillade
the tide of popular feeling set in
strongly for war. Thrall got out OF
Havana disguised as cattle-drover.
The initial movement for the in.
vasion of Cuba was the sailing OF Ad'
miral SIMPSONS fleet Wednesday fol
the bombardment of Matanzas to Sc
cure a landing place for the troops
now waiting transportation from Tam
pa. After reducing the Notifications
and establishing communication with
Gen. Gomez, the fleet will go to Porte
Rico and seize the Spaniard's only
base of supplies in western waters
Simpsons orders then are to proceed
on a pre-arranged point to meet Schley's
flying squadron, when the combined
forces will go forth to intercept Spain''
fleet on the way from Cape Verde Is
lands. Swift scouts Will scour the
ocean and quickly report after sighting
the Spanish squadron, when the most
important and probably the concluding
engagement of the war will be fought
A terrible state of affairs is reported
to exist at Santiago, Cuba, and it ma.
be regarded as very fair index of the
condition existing elsewhere on that
unhappy island. Every man between
Is and so years of age, by command Of
the Commandant General, must en-
list or be shot. A panic exists and
people are leaving the city for the
mountains. Spanish soldiers have as
sumed bullying attitude and threat
en- every Cuban man with death and
every Cuban woman with outrage, soon
as blockade of the port begins
The price of meats has risen to 81 pei
pound; rice a cents per pound, beans
81 cents, flour 10 cents, lard 80 cents
chickens $3.50 each. The sick sol.
diers in military hospitals get nothing
but bean soup three times day with
an ounce of meat once a day. A thou.
sand soldiers in St. Luis hospital get
nothing but salt fish. Spanish silver
is 40 per cent. premium. Bank notes
issued by the government at Havana
are practically worthless, and some
times pass at from three to five cents
ON the dollar.
JOHN BULL will likely have to take
hand in the war. The Spaniards have
imprisoned the British minister at
l