Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-02-27
OF EUROPE
London Press on the War
Scare.
'GRAVELYTHREATEN ING"
Spectator Certain That the United States
Government is Anxious to Avoida
Conflict With Spain If
Possible.
COPYRIGHT 1898. by Assocfuted Prsss1

Copyright 1898, by Associated Press
LONDON, Feb. 26.-Sensa,tional dis
patches. purporting to report ala,mis,t
utterances OF President MCKINLEY. Sec
rotary Long and other officials, are be-
ginning to affect public opinion on this
slde of the Atlantic, and create the i'm
preston that there may be possible
truth in the reports which allege that
the loss of the Maine was not due to an
accident as at first believed here AL
though war between the United States
and Spain is still regarded as impoSsi-
BILE, the disposition in this city is to re-
gard the approximations respecting Gu
ba as altogether exaggerated The
Statst points out that there is a grave
mistake. AS apart from sentiment the
material losses inflicted upon Ameri-
cans by the anarchy in Cuba must not
be belitted."
The Statist believes. however, that
President Mckinley lis Strong enough
to resist the pressure and congra tu-
lates him upon the firm and states
manlike qualities which the RESPONSE
oilities of his position have developed '
and upon the honorable and noble prin-
c;pl@s which he enunciated at Philadel-
pnia when he quoted Washington.
AT the same time continues the
StatsSt. I'VE realize that the President
cannot afford to quarrel with his sup
poriers. if the latter. press war"
The Saturday Review lis of the opn-
ion that the affair is gravely threaten
inc. and comments upon the silence
of the court of inquiry into the loss of
the Maine as being "ominious,' as in he
nervous anxiety of President Mckinley
and his ministers to avoid a rupture
With Spain they would obviously have
FASTENED TO publish anything which
would help to stop the mouths of Sem
ators MASON and Allen. who, with The
assistance of certain newspapers, are
yelling for instant war in the best iingo
style
Proceeding, the Saturday Review re-
marks: Secretary Sherman. having
been silenced by the simple process of
not allowing him to know anything.
the executive has lately kept its Sc
cret admirably: but it is shrewdly Sus-
pected that the specific disposition of
President Mckinley is largely owing t.
the repOrts of his naval advisers to the
effect that America is not in condition
| 10 go to war With Spain with any Ger
ta!nty of an Immediately overwhelming
success. The Spanish fleet is not to be
despised. and South American repub-
lics have not displayed the love for
their northern sister which Mr.. Blaine
tried to instil But all this viii not
prevent i!ngoes from forcing the Pres
ident's hand If a scrap of evidence i'm
plicat!ng Cuban authorities, becomes
public
The Spectator is certain that the Uni
ted States govern ment. whether moved
by Information from Europe, OF being
only dvsiroUS OF peace, is anxious 20
avoid war Still. apart.t .um the loss
of the Maine, the Spectator thinks that
the narrowing consular reports from
Cuba may SO fire the Americans shat
they win insist upon their government
ending such miseries WITHIN American
waters.
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