Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-31
FOR PEACE
Gen. Woodford Doing His Best
With Spanish Government.
CRISIS NEAR AT HAND.
Spain Would Welcome Media
ton by European Power.
Influence of Public Press Being Turned
in Part Toward Sale OF cuba-spaln
Not Ready for War.
CRISIS NEAR AT HAND.

Madrid, March 3o.-Whilo the situA-
ton here is outwardly of the calmest
description, the actual position of AFT
fairs is regarded as critical by both
the United States legation and the
Spanish government. The United States
minister, Gen. Stewart L. Woodford, is
working energetically, and will continue
to work for peace until the first gun is
fired. 1t Is known the Spanish govern
ment admits the desirability, or necessi-
ty, of complying with the demands of
the United States, and 1t is only in the
Discrimination of the ministers to put this
willingness into concrete form that the
danger lies
If conference was to be held with
British, German or French diplomats,
the matter would be settled without
question The point which Gen Wood
ford is now pressing Is that, in the in
terests of humanity, hostilities in Cuba
must cease Immediately. No date was
fixed either in the first or in the present
note, but the United States is now
dwelling upon the meaning of the word
Immediately" and insisting that Spain
accept its general Interpretation.
I'he public generally is taking little
apparent interest in the situation, but
there is g. general dfsinclination to be-
heve that war is likely.
A dispatch from Barcelona says that
the armed steam yacht Giralda, pur-
chased by the Spanish government from
marry McCalmont, the well-known Eng
llsh race horse owner, after the vessel
had been rejected by the United States,
is now being fitted up as a dispatch
boat
Ell Pals says that four warships have
been obtained by Spain in France, that
negotiations are pending for the pur-
chase of several torpedo boats in Great
Britain; that orders have been issued
to mobilize all the Spanish warships:
that the torpedo boat Halcon is to sail
Immediately from Carthagena for Cadiz
where second torpedo squadron is be-
ing prepared; that military engineers
are starting for the Canary Islands, and
that the Balearic Islands are being forti-
fed.
Italy. 1t is said" by the Pals, has decid-
ed to sell the armored cruiser Giuseppe
mored sister ship of the Varese, to
Spain
Two regiments, according to the Pals.
are going to the Canary Islands to
strengthen the Spanish garrison there.
The Armstrong Spanish agent a
Spaniard, who ds in touch with the gov
eminent and commercial people In
Spain, has expressed the belief that un-
less the powers intercede there Will be
war. He added: IF the United States
offered money for our clearing out of
Cuba, we could not accept; but if the
proposition emanated from another
power, 1t is not unlikely that it would
be accepted
This view of the case is echoed by a
portion of the Spanish press, which ad-
vises Spain to wash her hands Of Cuba,
Senior Ortiz de Zarate, prominent
former Carlist deputy, who has just
been defeated at Vittoria, expressed
the opinion that there would be no
war, saying: eve have neither ships,
sailors, soldiers plans nor money, and
the government knows it, 1t will
struggle to the last and then cave in"
Senior Zarate, who was recently at Ca
diz, says the Spanish warships Pelayo
and Carlos V, which the government
announced to be ready for sea, cannot
possibly be made ready sooner than in
two months