The times., 1898-01-17
MONDAY, JANUARY IL, 1898.
a Laudable Beginning.

AS q rule Mr. McKinley's Admins
tration has not been in the habit of ac-
cepting and acting upon the disinter-
ested and friendly advice of The Times:
at least with that degree of prompti-
tude and vigor that its own good, as
we'll as that of the country generally.
has demanded. 1t is the more worthy
OF notice. therefore. that an exception
has been made in connection with cur
rent events in Cuba and the govern
mental preparations To provide against
emergencies.
When il was announced from the
State Department that two warships
had been placed at Gen. Lees dispos-
al. and subject to his orders by cable,
this journal at once warned Mr. Nc
Kinley that the earliest step in the
next outbreak might be the cutting of
the cable, in which case a whole DAY
might elapse before the outside world
would know what was transpiring in
Cuba.
We are glad to observe that this
warning was taken in good part and
acted upon at once. Capt. Sigsbee.
Va AA-t -AldAilt-- iidS tECn instructed
that. if at any time there are indica-
items that the cable has been tampered
with. he is TO proceed to Havana i'm
mediately and at full speed. This is
excellent as far as it goes. and probably
covers the most imminent risk in the
matter There is another however.
which may or may not be serious. ac-
cording TO facts and circumstances.
We do not know whether or
not the State Department cipher
used in communication between
the consulate general in Ha-
vana and Washington has been
changed during the past seven months.
1t is notorious that the cipher in use
last August was in the possession OF
the Spanish government, of Weyler and
of Dupuy de Lone. During the spring
and summer there was not a dispatch
that passed between the State Depart
ment and Gen. Lee that was not imme-
diately translated and transmitted in
the Spanish foreign office cipher to
the legation here, or to the captain
general and to Madrid.
How many Spanish officials in Ha-
vana have the key to that code it would
be impossible To say. 1t stands to rea-
son that in leaving Cuba Weyler would
be cunning enough to confide the secret
10 some of his trusted adherents for use
in future operations and in keeping
him informed personally. Now. if the
same old code is still in use. and its
meaning known to chiefs of the Carl
list ana Weylerist conspiracy in Ha-
Vana. what is to prevent their sudden
ly seiZing the cable station and person.
ating Gen. Lee in cipher dispatches Of
a character to suit their own purposes?
BY such a movement and the forcible
detention of outgoing steamers leaders
Of the insurrectionary rising might Sc
cure d day or even two or three days
leeway and kill every American in the
city before anything could be known
on the mainland.
Whether the policy Of waiting for
some further overt act is agreeable to
the views Of Gen. Lee or not. it seems
to us to be foolishly dangerous one
What is the use of waiting for the ad-
vent of a st. Bartholomew Day mas
sacre in Havana, when the presence of /
an American squadron would render
that impossible? The Cuban war is
within the control of Mr.. Mckinley
He can end it forever 10y steaming by
the Morro Castle and coincidently
recognizing the independence of the
Cuban republic. The Spanish power in
Cuba is dead and buried. What Mr.
Mckinley ought to be thinking about is
the Spanish mob in Havana. That dir !
ty lot disposed of. Gen. Gomez proba-
bly, could attend to the rest.