The Advocate and news., 1898-05-25
MCKinley's
War Policy.
The Press Disagrees as to Its Efficacy,
and Many Criticisms Are
Offered.
YELLOW JOURNALS COMPLAIN.

drive the Spaniards out Of Cuba with
as little loss Of blood as possible. The
yellow journals and Others object to
this course AS the New York Sun
pertinently states IT, war Is not war
in the estimation Of Pulitzer, however,
unless 1t furnishes opportunities to sell
imaginary descriptions OF awful slaugh-
ter on land and sea. He wants our sol
diers to be killed and wounded, In or
der that he may rake In pennies with
tales OF blOOdshed."
It adds that Sensational newspapers
may not have been fed with stories OF
slaughter, but so far the war has been
victorious wholly. We are stronger
daily and Spain Is weaker. It's hold on
Cuba is lOosening steadily. If 1t were
possible that the war should proceed
to it's end thus bloodlessly so much the
more glorious so much the more cred
liable to American civilization would be
the contest, unique in the history of
war. We have not set out to spill blood,
but to free Cuba and we shall not stop
until we have reached that end, what
ever the cost; but If we can get there
without shedding the blood Of our sol
diers and sailors our gain VIII be the
richer because against it there will be
no mOurnful Offset in the loss Of the
lives Of brave men,"
Those who oppose the Presidents
course urge that the war be vigorously
prosecuted. The Chicago Chronicle
voices the sentiments of these when 1t
says that "The Spaniards are neither
fools nor towards. They would be both
If they amiably acquiesced in the suppo-
sitiOus policy of the President as out
lined by the correspondents Of the ad-
mnistratOn organs. We are engaged
in the war and we have got to fight.
The sooner we begin fighting the sooner
we shall be through with it. If we don't
start it the enemy will, and the advan-
tagc is VIGOROUSLY with the aggressOr.
Every hours delay in reducing Havana
makes the task more difficult and tends
inevitably to prolong the war. II the
President really cOntemplates the
peaceful blockade" plan for whipping
Spain he is going to be previously dis
appointed and the worst of it is that
the country, which does not approve
such plan, will have to stand the con-
sequences"
Another view of the matter is eX-
pressed by the New York Times when
it says that "The employment Of our
proud and powerful armada in the ig-
noble business of Overhauling Spanish
merchantmen and bringing them into
prize courts does not visibly advance
the main business we have on hand-the
expulsion Of the Spaniards from Cuba
II commands the approval Of no part of
the people of this country The ardent
war party regard with contempt and i'm
patience a policy that wastes, in MAX
ing freighters come about, good pow
der and shot that ought to he used in
battering their forts and fleets"
The same paper points out that this
policy Is neither war nor peace, that the
noble duty of freeing Cuba should not
be prOstituted to an eager chase for pri-
vate property and that such war meth
Ods will never be approved by the peO-
pie. In stating the case more plainly
1t adds that "A general who ordered
his soldiers to seize and carry away per-
sonal property and burn houses, stores,
and factories would he looked upon as
lawless monster But an admiral who
captures the ships of the merchants of
the enemy's country seizes their vam-
ahles and burns the ships IL he cannot
conveniently send them in to be judged
in prize court, merely follows the GUS
tom and keeps within the law 1t may
not be thought practicable TO abandon
sea captures of private property, leav-
ing Spain to carry on the sordid bust
ness on her part. but we hope our fleets
will at least soon find occupations that
will carry the war more rapidly toward
its inevitable end than can be done by
the inglorlous capture of rusty old
freight steamers"
Another class of papers urge that
careful, conservative preparation for
war be made before the lives of citizens
are unduly risked. The Boston Tray