The evening times., 1898-04-21
The First Day OF War.

The First Day OF war
The Spanish minister has left. In
speech from the throne the Queen Re
gent of Spain has hurled defiance at
America and announced the severance
of diplomatic relations. The Spanish
war feet has left the Cape Verde ISL
ands TO strike blow at us somewhere.
Gen. woodford viii leave Madrid to-
day; doubtless has already done so.
Fer the first time during the life of this
generation the country is armed. thor
oughly united and at war,
No answer is expectd to the ulti-
matum served upon Spain yesterday.
The sailing Of the warships from st.
Vincent and the Queens speech are
sufficient answer and our sea inter
ests do not permit of any delay. There
i. is a suspicion that a squadron is on its
way to Asiatic waters to fight our
ships, now supposed to be preparing
for an attack upon the Philippine ISL
ands All talk Of a bloodless blockade
of Havana is over. We know that
Spain win not attack US in any such
way. and that. as long as we are about
il. we might as well make short work
Of her strongholds and Notifications.
Consequently, it is fair to expect that
actual fighting viii occur Saturday or
Sunday.
Tories have disappeared. Meddling
peacemongers have retired 10 their
I holes. Those who have been honestly
conservative and disinclined for war
, have faced about and joined the pa
rather only ons. and that is the Ameri-
can party, whose principles and plat
form are clearly expressed and declared
in the resolution signed by the Presi-
dent yesterday. The people have for
gotten all about political campaigns
and ballots. Today they are thinking
about military campaigns and bullets
cuba is free and recognized. Even
now an officer Of the cuban general
stan is IN Washington concerTing plans
with Gen. Miles FOR the cooperation of
the armies of the sister republics Those
plans viii go into effect before many
days Tha presence Of our fleet in front
Of the island insures easy and rapid
communication with Gomez and Garcia
and with the Maso government our
American volunteer army will be called
into being today or tomorrow. and its
ranks are filed TO replytion in ad-
vance Of the fact. 4 force OF two mil
lion soldiers could be had il il were re-
quired and we had arms and equip
ment Tor il. We are giving an object
lesson 70 the old world which will be a
salutary one. We are showing mo-
narchical Europe that this is not China
and that our country is not as was
supposed Of late years SO sunk in sor-
did commercialism as to have lost its
old-time war spirit or its devotion To
the cause Of human liberty and hu-
manity. Kings and kaisers observe
with startled surprise that il only
needed sufficient provocation for the
American people to break loose from
the shackles that an international CO.
alition of financiers and monopolists
had forged around them. and suddenly
leap forth like young giant, armed
to the teeth and fighting mad.
Europe sees with astonishment what
il thought to be a sluggishly submis-
sive Chinese population at a single
bound spring to the position of great
naval and military power, and one
| which must be reckoned with i'm the
future of high politics.
Yes. that righteous holy war for op-
pressed Cuba; for its murdered peas
antry. and its outraged and butchered
womanhood and girlhood for which
The Times has been working. sweating
and swearing for more than year. is
on at last. Through every discourage
ment. always bitterly opposed. villified
and abused by the Spanish Tories who
have infested Washington and even
shot out their forked tongues in Con-
sress. The Times has never wavered in
its determination To see Cuba free and
Spain driven from the hemisphere. On
January 81 this journal predicted the
destruction of the Maine by subma
rine mine On February. is il declared
the true cause of the massacre. and
then and there laid down its politics
and determined to put aside all other
considerations and associations and to
devote its entire energies to help in
bringing about the result which has
come. SO The Times has won its fight
NiVe la guerre,