Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-03-19
FROM WASHINGTON.
PRESIDENT MCKINLEY
HOLDS THE KEY.
The Maine Court of Inquiry.
TIE Ne w SPANISH MN
ISTER.
Action viii Be Taken.

(From Our Regular Correspondent
WAsHINeroN, March 14,h, 1898
President Mckinley is one OF the
hardest worked men in the country
Just now. He has not abandoned hope
that peace may be preserved with
honor, but he is working night and day
to place the country in position to
wage a successful war against Spain
Just as though he we're certain that
war is to come. His head has not been
turned even a little bit Oy the extra
ordinary confidence reposed in him by
Congress, in putting by unanimous
vote $50 900 600 in his hands TO be US
ed for national defense. He is cool and
deliberate, just as he has been from
the first He calmly ignores the SEN
sational reports of this or that Euro
pean nation being about to form an al
lance with Spain, and is as fully de-
termined as ever to maintain National
honor at all hazards.
THE MAINE INQUIRY
Notwithstanding various contrary
assertions, it is fact that neither the
President nor the Secretary of the
Navy has received from any member of
the Maine Court OF Inquiry, a single
word intima ing what the report OF the
Court will be. They have, OF course,
like all ether intelligent men, formed
an opinion from the evidence that has
appeared in the columns OF respt eta
BILE newspapers, OF what the probable
nature of the report as far as it con-
Germs the explosion will be, but they
l. trcfrfn lod ~ra 81 1,a4 .
court has done or will do. and expect
none. any more than they would ex-
pect advance intimation OF what de-
cision of the u. S Supreme Cour
would be in any given case it might
have under consideration.
ACTION WILL BIZ TAKEN.
There will be no delay in acting a.
soon as the report, which thu Pres
dent will accept as final, is made, and
Spain will not b. allowed to delay re-
spending 20 the demands of this gov
eminent, II it br shown that the Maine
was blown up from the outside, and
that there is now very litsle doub
While the reaident is keeping h s
own counsel rs to the demand tbs
will be made upon Spain it can be ,, {
down as certain that it Will be OF
that will be Endorsed by the entil e
American people, just as the Presi-
dents policy has been up TO the pres
ent time, and it is gene ally believed
that it will include proportion for
definite settlement of the trouble IN
Cuba. There are already strong indi.
cations that Spain has adopted policy
OF delay. which it will seek to carry
out, but it will seek in vain. 1t viii
either have 10 meet our demands
promptly or fight.
NEW SPANISH MINISTER.
No Quaker could profess great T
brotherly love for the United States
than does the new Spanish Minister
who WAS preses ted to President
Mckinley Saturday. He talked as
though peace was assured and that his
greatest anxiety is to complete a reel
procity treaty with us. This talk isn't
throwing any sand in anybody's eyes.
GREAT CONFIDENCE.
The confidence felt by Congress in
the Presiden is duplicated by that re-
posed by the President in his Score
taries OF War and Navy, and by that
placed in their Bureau Chiefs by those
Secretaries. An instance Of this con-
fidence is the case OF Gen. Flagler,
Chief of Ordnance, who has been au-
thorized by Secretary Alger to place
orders for as much war material as he
may deem necessary under existing
circumstances Gen. Flagler has di-
rected all makers of both guns and
ammunition to run their establishments
to their full capacity until further or
ders. But no waste or extravaganza is
to be countenanced in either the War
or Navy Department every dollar
spent will be upon estimates, approx
ed not only by the Secretary, but by
the President and in writing at that
NO ALLIANCE.
Congress is very decidedly opposed
to anything that might be construed
by the world as an alliance between
the u. s. and Great Britain. The
feeling against "entangling foreign
complications is quite as strong n "
as it was in the days of George Wash
inQton. We do not need any help
from England to Il ght our battles, and
we 10 not intend to help England to
fight her battles. This feeling has been
strongly expressed since the idea be-
came prevalent that England was try
ing 70 make use of the probability OF a
war with Spain to inveigle the \. s. in
to an alliance offensive and defensive
with her. 1t is all very pretty to talk
about an alliance between the English
speaking people being strong enough
to dominate the world, but the U s.
isn't in the dominating business, and
has no idea of going into it. Besides,
it has many and growing commercial
interests that necessarily directly OPP
posed to those of England, and other
European nations. Having success
fully plays lone hand for more than
a century, and managed TO make more
progress than any other nation on earth
it isn't likely that the u s. would care
to hamper itself with partner now.
The building of three new battle
ships. to be as good as the best now
sflOat, and one of them 10 be named