The Press., 1898-04-14
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON. Anr1l

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washington, April IL, 1898.
The official announcement of an armi-
tice in Cuba declared by Spain is general
ly believed to be merely another trick, it
was feared that it might cause the rresi-
dent to postpone his message or to change
his mind about sending 1t in. Now those
fears are all past. Gen. Lee and all the
Americans who desired to leave are safely
out of Cuba, and the message is before
congress. Consequently there is feel
ing OF contentment because it is known
that long deferred justice is about to be
melted out to Spain by the United States !;
that vexatious delays are over.
Congress is practically unit, although
there are few individuals who would pre-
fer proceeding little differently and by the
middle Of the week the authority will be
placed in the presidents hands to use the
Q. S. army and navy to drive the Spanish
out Of Cuba, and before the week closes
Cuba Is likely to be surrounded by the
most formidable feet Of warships this
country has ever assembled under one
commander, and the steps will have been
taken that will send the necessary troops
to be landed on Cuban soil to cooperate
with our ships. The plans are all made,
the ships have up steam and only await
the final order to start. The only thing
that can upset our program now is the
showing of the white feather by Spain,
but those who are thoroughly conversant
with the Spanish character as we'll as with
existing political conditions in Spainthink
that big bluff at making an aggressive
war upon the United states will be made
and kept up until there is danger not only
of Spain losing Cuba but her other col
onies and her entire navy. Then she will
through the European powers, sue for
peace. Meanwhile, it is known that the
Spanish programme is not to openly
fight our navy, but to try to use its fast
est cruisers and torpedo boats and torpedo
destroyers to damage our heavy fighting
ships. They will find, however, that this
will be very dangerous sort of game to
engage in.
What world of contrasts it is While
congress is listening to message from
the president that means war, thousands
of happy children are gathered upon the
engaged in the sport peculiar to Wash
ington,o rolling Easter eggsto the music
of the entire Marine band, which plays at
the express order Of the president to add
to the enjoyment of the little ones. There
can be little doubt that the president as
he looks out over these joyous children
finds for more enjoyment in contemplating
their play than he does In looking forward
to the war
In view Of the war now almost upon us,
the following opinion of Col. Jed. Hotch-
kiss, of Va, who was on Stonewall Jack
sons staff, is interesting, If not Important:
81 put very small valuation on big
battle ships. They are formidable in
looks, but what can they accomplish? If
two of them fired at each other simultane-
ously and both struck, two ships would
undoubtedly go to the bottom. One shot
will settle the business of the best one
ever built. There are too clumsy, too
heavy, too slow to get away. The best
fighter is the one who can retreat quickly
and to do that there must be little i'm
pediment, little weight. When men GEN.
turtles ago sheathed both rider and steed
in armor they thought they had done
something wonderfully clever, but the
steed-clad combination wasn't worth
continental. Our big war vessels | re-
gard as repetition of that ancient blund-
err" 1t should be remembered that Col
Hotchkiss did all his fighting on land
Some idea of the amount of work that
is now being done at the Washington
Navy Tard-uot upon ships, but upon
guns, gun carriages and ammunition
may be gained from the fortnightly paa
roll, which amounts to $685.
There is prejudice against the issue
of bonds of any kind, among senators and
representatives, but with war in sight,
and nearly all of that $5O,OOO approprla-
ton gone, it is realized that more money
must be had than will be brought in by
the proposed doubling of the tax on beer,
the increasing of the tax on all kinds OF
manufactured tobacco, and the placing OF
tax on various commercial papers, and
that bonds must be issued. The ways
and means committee has prepared two
bills, the first providing for the issue of
300, 000. 900 in bonds, as a temporary
loan. and the second for from $500 00O,-
900 to $500, 900, as permanent loan
Thesa bonds will be payable in coin and
to bear 8 per cent interest. II it becomes
necessary to issue them they may be
offered to the public at par, instead of
being sold in lump to capitalists. At
least. that seems to be the present in
tention.