Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-24
MKINLEY's PROBABLE COURSE.
opinion Among Consular and Naval
Officers I'm Habann


! HABANA, via. KEY WEST. FLA.
| March 3.-The Associated Press bulletin
with reference to the transmission Of the
iull report Of the court Of inquiry to
| Washington, was read TO the principal
| consular and naval officials here, and also
TO the best known correspondents. There
Is surprising unanimity of opinion that
the probable course Of events will be
that President Mckinley will transmit
the findings to Madrid with note saying
that the Maine disaster was the cul-
minating point of a state of affairs that
must not continue to exist; that the
United States is unwilling TO feed indie
finitely hundreds of thousands of starving
women and children, or that the COM
merce of Cuba should be utterly de-
stroyed; that the war must stop, that
the United States is willing to act as
arbitrator, and to use its best endeavors
to arrange a plan to which Spain and
the insurgents might agree. If Spain de-
clines mediation, as is probable, and
seeks to put off a definite settlement,
President Mckinley, it Is believed here,
will transmit the note as an ultimatum,
together with the consular reports, to
Congress, where the independence Of
Cuba will be declared in strong terms.
Then If Spain insists upon war she must
declare II.
These views are interesting as being
the opinions of those here on the ground
as to what is likely to happen within the
next fortnight.
PANDO'S MISSION.
1t will be impossible until the arrival |
of the steamer from Holguin, Puerto |
n 1T. 4
tails of the meeting between General Pan |
dos delegates and General Garcia. Gene
raj MassO and the otier insurgent lead
ers. but it is known positively from the !
military movements since that the pro-
pOsals for peace were rejected definitely.
Great disappointment is felt at this, not
only among the Autonomists, but in the
palace, as ii was really hoped here that
the mission would succeed, General Car
cia's steadfastness being regarded with
some doubt. There has never been much
hope that General Maxine Gomez would
yield, but it has been thought that Gene
raj Garcia might accept the proposed
terms.
CUBAN ELECTIONS.
Cuba is now in the throes of election
excitement. Every effort is being made
10 induce the Conservatives to vote, but
with little success thus far. The Au-
Economists are divided into bitter factions.
jne wing declining to take part in the |
elections at all, or to nominate dele
rates. The Habana Conservatives say
hat even if they consented to vote. their
)allots would not be counted fairly, as
he boxes are in the hands of Autonomist
and the stuffed poll-lists will be
urther padded. 1t is impossible to pre-
ict the outcome at present, since inter-
a a
,ut it is hard TO see how the present
,utonomist Government has the least |
nance especially since the last move I
n the game-General Pandos mission TO [
he insurgents-has proved a failure.
Among the most prominent Conserva-
i've delegates TO the Spanish Cortes are ,
enor Francis Guzman, former President q
t the Cortes, and Colonel Menez, the a
resent censor in Habana. g
ANTI-AMERICAN EDITORIALS e
La Union-Constitutional publishes a b
.rong editorial to-day, in which it says Il
le United States will forgive the loss of C
fe and money, if the Spaniards will hand Is
yer Cuba, although Through American G.
and sympathy, thousands of u
panish soldiers have lost their lives in $
uba and the island has been made a u
esert."
The Advisador Commercial, in an edito-
al on the same line reproaches the %
merican newspaper correspondents for u
lie bad feeling they display, and says it I'll
,es not know whether to admire more !"
e men who write the falsehoods or the Id
OILS who believe them. III
On Monday twenty bodies were discov- al
ed near a creek i'm the outskirts of re
lanabacoa. They were in a fearful ''
ate OF decomposition. On the head of
e a deep machete wound could be seen.
he government is investigating the case. III
is believed the bodies are those of men in
ken out of Guanabacoa and killed du- IN
X the regime of Commander Fonsde- OF
fla. One has been recognized as that Of &c