The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-22
BELSHAzzAR.
Did Not Feast and Live in More
ReVelry
Than the Spaniards Who Now
Reside in Havana.
THEY EAT AND DRINK
And Are Merry, For They Look
For Fate
To Drive Them Out of the Cap
itaI Soon.

Havana, March 22.-Unless history
and poetry alike, mistake, there was
sound of revelry'' in Brussels on the
eve of Waterloo. Paris, too, just before
that big affray, was in a whirl of balls
and fetes. Havana is very gay today,
strangely so, far more strangely stiu,
when the losses of the weI-to-do and
the dire poverty of it's proIetariat are
considered.
OF course the presence of the war
ships with their large complement of
officers, has much to do with the festiv-
tiles prevailing. Then, too, there are
centuries of customs and scores of
proverbs similar to the familiar ''tomor-
row, another day" These tend toward
inducing a somewhat mercuriaI people
to forget the sad things while they may
in singing, dancing and all the rest
that goes to make up social sounds.
But there are many serious ones, who,
if they join in the laugh, drop into other
moods than joyous when left alone. You
can see them frown at the absurd carl
catures of Uncle Sam and his miniOns,
with which the comic papers of Madrid
and Havana TEEN. You can see them
sneer at the fleets of formidable war
vessels, pictured in the magazines and
illustrated journals and labeled part
of Spain's great navy" You can hear
them laugh sardOnically at the foolish
rantings of bOyish officers when they
say: wen land our army at Key
w W6SI-hdTCn SIIalSnI 1ulauQ 10 w ASH
ington and in a week from landing,
We'll capture Mckinley and all his min
istry, unless they run away"
Havana has at last awakened to what
it's people regard as the probability Of
a war with the United States and the
sOber-minded are counting the cost.
Some whom the government assumes to
be the most extreme conservatives, are
counting that cost with satisfaction.
They are annexationists now, no matter
what they were year ago or less. In
their numbers are editors, lawyers
bankers, merchants, manufacturers, Of
ficiaIs, even priests, though those OF that
function cling more tenaciously to the
vested rights of royalty.
Deep is the interest in the attitude of
European powers in regard to interven-
ton. and loud are the acclaims of de-
light over published cablegrams pur-
porting to give words of aid and com
fort from the German emperor, H'rench
minister, or Italian deputy. But the
Iiveliest grow grave at the mention of
possible alliance between Great Britain
and the United States and the anxiety
manifested to interview MT Collin
British representative here and even
our Gen. Lee and learn the truth or
falsity of the story that the Prince or
Wales has said a British fleet would
support the United States in putting an
end to the war in Cuba was almost
ludicrous it was so openly expressed.
OF course all the above is from the
point of view of the locker on IN Ha-
Vana. We know marvelOusly little here.
(High government circles excepted) OF
what is really going on in the great
world of American and continental
statecraft-
Through all the drubbling and the
wondering, the beggars of Havana,
laugh, dance, sing or groan as tlIne OF
the occasion serves. A merry lot and
careless fat withal, and not unpictures-
que in their scanty linen.