Evening star., 1898-07-25
Satisfactory War Conditions.

time before the entire island is in our pos
session.
| satisfactory War Conditions
There is general expression of gratff-
| cation and satisfaction at the war condi-
| tions at this time. Spain is il no condition
| to inf1ict injury upon Us; our own army
| mas been got into excellent condition anl
| cur naval forces have attained high eff
| cheney and large number of the best ves-
| sells are available for any operations
| deemed necessary. While no foreign inter
| ference in the is expected our power
| on the seas is sufficient to meet most any
| emergency, and. should the lleet under
Commodore Watson be threatened with
| any interference in the expedition to Span
| ish waters, another large fleet will he avai-
| able to join him. The blockade of Cuba
| can be maintained by our smillIe- vessels,
| and the great men-of-war can be spared
| for whatever service is required of them.
| The Watson fleet is to be made much more
| powerful than has yet been indicated, and
If future developments should render it
| Necessary this fleet. or a part of it. could
| proceed through the Suez canal, either to
| go directly to Manila or to anticipate the
| movement of any feet that might be or
| ganiZed for the Philippines. 1t is believed
however, that when the character of the
Watson fleet is realized there will be no
disposition on the part of any to risk
an interference with it, Moreover. the
course to be pursued will not be such
to justify interference even by the least
| friendly of the powers. The administra-
ton here has not committed itself to ary
| policy with respect to the Philippines or
any other of the Spanish possessions, ex-
cept Porto Rico and Cuba, and it is under
| stood that it will not be committed I'M
! til the time comes whan we are to deal
with Spain on the suoicci Of peace.
The President and Peace.
The Madrid special of the London Daily
News stating that of the chief obsta-
| cles of peace is President Mckinley's i'm
pressionabe character, the President be-
ing sometimes inclined to reasonable terms
and at other times determined on a war of
conquest, is spoken of as absolutely ridicu-
lous. There has been opportunity for
any representative of the Madrid govern
ment or any other government, it is de-
clared, to determine the disposition of Pres
ident Mckinley In the matter of terms of
peace. 1t is positively asserted, and in the
nature of things could not be otherwise,
that the President has not discussed di-
rectly or indirectly this subject with any
representative of a foreign government
According to public men who have visited
the President frequently he has not dis
cussed the terms upon which peace could
be secured even with the most influential
men in Congress. and no one can possibly
know whether he is impressionable and
vacillating or not by anything that he has
said. 1t is pointed out that the best evil
dence that there is no vacillation is found
in the fact that the war is being prosecuted
with tba
lines adopted at the beginning.
The Question of Terms.
The question of what terms shall be ac-
cepted from Spain. it is believed, depend
| now, as it has from the first, upon the re-
distance which Spain offers during the war.
The same terms which would have been ac-
cepted before gun fired could not
now be entertained, and it is said that in
like manner terms which might be accept
ed today will not be acceptable after we
have been compelled to spend still more
blood and treasure in the prosecution of
the war. Apparently there is no purpose
on the part Of the administration to I'M
press Europe with any other idea of our
power, except that it is sufficient to main
tain our rights and to deal with an enemy
in accordance with own ideas of JUS
tice. According to the best information
available, there Is no purpose on the part
of the administration to inflict upon Spain
in the expedition against her coast. any
greater damage than may be absolutely
necessary to bring the Spanish government
to its senses. The one inexorable purpose
is to either capture destroy the Camara
fleet, and the other is to impress upon
Spain an appreciation of the absolute fulfil
ity of her carrying the war further. To do
this there will have to be a sufficient dis
play of force to discourage any foreign
power from interfering.