The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-20

Reed and Vice President Hobart to the
resolution in open session, and its de-
livery at the White House was made
by Representative Hager of Iowa,
chairman of the committee on enrolled
bills. and Representative Overstreet of
Indiana.
1t was expected that the resolution
would be signed Immediately after it
had reached the president, and this
was President McKinley's inclin zion,
but for certain state reasons it was
deemed advisable that the resolution
and the ultimGtum to Spain should be
sigbed simultaneously, and time was
needed to draft the ultimatum in diplo-
matte form
The fact that the resolution was not
Immediately signed gave rise to a few
cisquieting reports, but it soon appear
ed from statements of cabinet officers
that the president had not the slightest
intention of Withholding his signature,
and that the delay in attaching it was
accounted for solely by his desire to
have a full and complete plan of opera
tions for the government of the execu-
tive in the immediate future, before
taking the final and important step of
turning the joint resolution into a stat
ute.
PLANS TALKED OVER.
Just what this plan shall be was the
occasion for the two cabinet meetings
today. The first session, in anticiDa-
tiCn of the reception of the resolution,
was devoted largely to questions of
finance and military policy, as we'll as
to the framing Of the ultimatum itself
So far as can be gathered, the i'm
Portant point at issue in regard to the
ultImatum was the question of time to
be allowed for a response on the part
of Spain. The steady progress of mill
tary and naval preparations indicated
the conviction on the part of the adj
ninistration that a peaceful solution of
existing difficulties is not probable. AS
to the course of events in the imme-
0iate future, the only prediction that
can be made is one based on Drece-
de-ts.
THE TWO MINISTER'S.
According to these, Minister Wood
ford will notify the Spanish government
of the action of the government of the
United States, and should the Spanish
answer be unsatisfactory, as is expect
ed, the next step would be for him to
ask for his passports and leave Ma
drid. That would be followed imme
diateiy by the withdrawal from Wash
ington of Senior Polo, the Spanish min
lister. At this point it can be said that
the state department officials are conf
so shape every phase of the negotia-
tions as to oblige us to take the initia-
tive at every point.
FIRST OVERT ACT.
After the withdrawal of the ministers,
and, assuming that Spain does not back
down, will follow actual war, but
whether or not the first overt act would
be preceded by a formal declaration of
war, which would insure the immediate
naturalization OF the powers, or
whether the North Atlantic squadron
will make its appearance off Havana
as a beginning, cannot be predicted.
MONTHS, NOT WEEKS.
In this connection it may be stated
that the army and navy experts are
beginning to take a less hopeful view
of an early and quick campaign than
they entertained a short time ago.
Months are now mentioned, instead of
weeks, as the probable length of hos
tilities, and one eminent naval officer,
who had experience in the late war.
processes a belief that unless outside
pressure is brought to bear, a war may
easily drag along a year, under existing
circumstances.
Apparently the powers have abandon
the course of our government. Matters
We're quiet at all the legations today,
and no instructions were received by
any of the ambassadors or ministers in
the line of mediation.