The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-09
WHAT SAGASIA MEANS
Reasons For Believing He
viii HaggIe EternaIIy
RUSSIA BEING HIS BACKER
In the Game in Which the
Philippines Are the Stake

Advices from Madrid tend TO indicate
that Senior Sagasta has either not yet
fully realized the position to which Spain
has been reduced. or that he intends 10
adopt. IN the forthcoming negotiations
policy Of procrastination. suggested TO
him by some other power or powers. The
alternative explanation that this govern
ment is anxious to save its face with
public opinion in Spain. Is hardly tenabel;
since the apathy, amounting almost to IN
difference, with which the terms Of the
Washington protocol have been received,
not only in Madrid, but in the country
at large has come rather as a surprise
to those who expected an ebullition OF
public feeling Such, nevertheless, has
been the demoralizing effect of long-con-
tinued political corruption upon high
spirited people.
As. however Senior Sagasta is a srrewd
man. and cannot have failed to be in
formed as to the meaning which the
American government attaches TO the pre-
| liminaries signed at Washington, his con-
| fdences 70 the Liberal-the authority of
which is not disputed-on the multitude
nous points which will nave to be dis
! cussed before the commissioners at Paris
settle down to real work, including the
/ difference between cession of territory
and cessions of sovereignty, the fate Of
| incarcerated criminals, and the prosecu-
! ton Of private law-suits-these conf
/ dences do not auger we'll for a speedy
! settlement; they indicate rather a dis
/ position to trife with the main issue in
! a carping spirit.
Now, as the internal condition Of Spain
| is such as to demand a reasonably ex-
/ peditious settlement, this disposition can
only be the outcome of prompting with
/ out: and in well-informed quarters hardly
a doubt is entertained that Russia is the
chief instigator. To those familiar with
| the methods OF Russian diplomacy, the
article published in the semi-official Jour
nal de st. Petersburg on the 18th inst,
the text OF which is now to hand, is
an unmistakeable indication that the
! Cars government is determined to use
every effoft 10 prevent, or at least de-
lay, the passing of the Philippines under
the sway of the United States. And
there is no one on this side of the Atlantic
whose opinion is worth having, who does
|
gard to that question. The annexation Of
| Porto Rico, the ultimate fate of Cuba,
| the possession even of Manila, and for
that matter of the whole island of Luzon,
| are now considered to be beyond discus
| sion But to the absorption by the United
! States of the entire group of the Philip
pines, il will be found that Russia will
oppose every means which her resource
full diplomacy can devise.
What should be the precise tactics to
be adopted with that end in view will
prove a most perplexing problem, even for
| Russian diplomacy. Russia will certainly
not risk a war, while on the other hand,
she is well aware that any precpitate
action must tend to draw England and
America closer together-an eventuality
which she views with even greater appre-
hension, in respect to her interests in the
far east than the establishment of the
! United States in the Philippines. This
dilemma in which Russia finds herself
just a this moment Will explain the
more conciliatory tone which the cabinet
Of St. Petersburg has suddenly adopted
towards Great Britain in regard to
/ Chinese affairs. \ marked lull has all
at once supervened to the feverish activ-
ity with which Russia had been pushing
forward the advantages which she OBJ
tanned at Pellin; and this chance synchro-
nzes exactly with the fall of Manila. AT
the same time the Car, who thus far
was content 70 receive graceiously the
fatte-ing attentions of his brother sover-
eign at Berlin has now gone out OF his
way t. confer upon him the honary com
{ It rsr-
guards.
The purpose, therefore, OF Russia is clear
iy to propitiate 10 some extent. England
and to revivify the tripartite pact viii
Germany and France in the affairs of The
far east The inspired article of TIE Jour
nal de st. Petersburg Expressly speaks OF
a "strict vet benevolent tutelage or con.
troll by Europe" of the Philippines. and
significantly adds that 1.-The philanthropiC
and liberal ideas Of the American people
, will soon have 70 give place to more seri
Gus considerations in the appreciation o.
, the situation" Such expressions. the
. diplomatic bearing Of which cannot b,
mistaken, would never have been allowed
, TO appear in the mouthpiece of the Rus
, sian Foreign Office in the press il tn,
: Cars government were not prepared t
follow them up by further steps If the,
were not sure Of the support of at leas
/ two other powers France Of course
Will as usual follow Russia blIndly. Will
the latest act Of Germany. the fight o
= Gen. AUgustin. on board the Ka3seri1
= Agusta. the eXac; purnort Of which 8
q shrouled in mystery. SENS u indicate
o u say the least Of 1t. noc very friendl
o feelings toward the United States.
The anxious consideration given at Mad
rid to the clause Of the prelim;narie
which refer 70 the Phn.ppines-au kind
= OF dictionaries and diplomatic handbook
: were. we are seriously told. brought int
I requisit.on 70 determine the exact beariu
: OF the words employed-aad the 6eclava
!, non Of Senior Sagas5a. that according t
international law. as a suspension OF hos
Titles had been signed. the surrender Q
Manila can hav emo legal effiacy"-thes
facts show clearly that the Spanish com
= uissiouers VIII make their stand on tina
point Yet Spain can have no real inter
est and hardly any wish 20 keep "a
Philippines for herself. considering n
e fact that so FAR she derived no beuea
3 from their possession. while in the futur
they would exhaust her very lfe-bloo,
o old she undertake 20 resuhdue and psc
, y them. Beyond this. however. We
Il Spain reius,ated il toe Philippines. s.
IS would ind Herself face 20 face with a
almost insurDountsb'e difficulty. While
n even the United States government rnu.
= prove but one degree less fo-m55ah.,
l. namely, the question Of the religious o
II Gers in those islands
The exactioas. the cruelty. the profits