The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-28
WILL MAKE FOR PEACE.
A Policy of Intervention the Whole
World Must Approve.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
The semi-off1cial outline of the Presidents
policy of Cuban Intervention suggests a
probable solution of the Spanish compliea-
lions that ought to win the applause of the
whole world. The most ardent advocates OF
war with Spain have never been able
to devise a pretext that would be recog-
nized as valid at home or abroad. But
humane and honest attempt to relieve the
misery of starving reconcentrados would
pc form OF intervention that would appeal
lrresiStibly to the common sense of man
kind. The United States would be bound
as a neutral power to respect reasonable
Spanish rights and military restrictions in
the methods proposed for administering re-
lief. To propose offers of assistance that
Spain could not accept or permit would be
70 seek an occasion of war under des-
picable pretense of charity. All that is
needed to obliterate the worst phases OF
the struggle can be provided by the Cuban
Relief and Red Cross Societies without Of
Tense to Spain and in the most effective
and economical fashion. If the administra-
ton prefers to act through an independent
agency, there would surely be no difficulty
in so constituting 1t as to avoid just ground
OF offense. Spain could not justify a dog
in-the-manger policy of refusing to let 9TH
ers feed the prisoners she was unable or
unwilling to feed. Yet her government
would be placed in a position of embarrass-
sure to bring the struggle to an end than
could be exerted by threats of war, which
we would nave no decent preteXt for de-
claring. To feed the hungry and clothe
the naked might be considered by right
political economists somewhat of a Good
Samaritan departure from old-fashioned
theories of government interference; but
who can doubt that it would be vastly pre-
ferred by the moral sense of this country
and more generously applauded by the rest
of the world than any aggressive and
groundless Intervention we could propose?
Except the paltry excuse of national honor,
which has never been in half so much peril
from SpaniardS as American jingoes, our
only possible ground for Intervention in
Cuba is the distress of noncombatants that
justly appeals to our sympathies. We will
not only remove this occasion for strained
relations with Spain by the method pro-
posed, but, what is more important, we
will ehave demonstrated to the world the
generosity, the large craftsmanship, the
Self-restraint of the great Republic which
turned a temptation to war into a more
glorious act of Christian charity President
Mckinley could adopt no policy that would
be more grateful to the genius and enlight-
eminent of his age and country. The pow
erful pressure of our humane example
would be influential with both Spain and
the insurgents in disposing them to listen
to peaceful negotiations With a hundredth
part of the sum unanimously voted by Con-
gress for national defense we could accom-
plish more for humanity and secure a more
enduring promise of peace with honor than
the longest list of armored battle ships
could afford. j. Q. DONNELL.
Kingston, Ind. March g.