Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-07-14
HOPELESS OUTLOOK.
Spanish Officials Recognize Their
Helplessness in the War.
The Fall OF Santiago VIII Probable End tho
War and Give Spain an Opportunity
to Negotiate for Peace-The
Paris TempS Views.

to Negotiate for Peace-The
Paris Temps' Views.
MADRID, July 1l.-Information re.
ceived from the most reliable sources
is TO the effect that the darkest pessi.
mism pervades Madrid oflicialdom.
The helplessness of the war is finally
recognized, and the peace idea now
seems to predominant in the cabinet,
and negotiations are considered ur.
gent The cabinet is likely to cohere
until peace is secured. 1t is now re-
cogni2ed that Santiago de Cuba is COM
pletely beleaguered and cannot hold
out, owing to the lack ofprovisions and
munitions of war. 1t is considered GER
tain that the Americans will blockade
Cuban and Porto Riean ports, cutting
off their supplies, while the authori-
ties are convinced that an American
fleet is coming to the peninsula, There
is no confidence felt that the powers
will interfere, even if defenseless sea-
ports are bombarded, and, therefore,
what measures of defense are possible
are being adopted. Marshal Martinez
Campos, in the course of an interview
at San Sebastian, said it was impossi-
BILE that negotiations for peace should
be entered upon by the Spanish and
American governments, for the reason
that the time was not yet ripe.
Ell Liberal says that peace is impos.
sible if the United States claims pos.
session of Cuba. The Spanish army is
determined to repel such a claim, but,
even should the army cease to exist,
there would be 30, 900 volunteers, fully
resolved to uphold the Spanish flag
and reject peace. In the event of the
soldiers quitting the island the war
would be continued by its inhabitants,
who do not wish to become Yankees.
THE HEAVY NAVAL LOSSES OF SPAIN.
LONDON, July Ii. "A special dispatch
from Madrid says; All the talk of
peace seems, up to the present, to have
led to no tangible results. No doubt
the government would welcome an OBJ
portunity to negotiate with the United
States, were the signs propitious, but
there are so many circumstances to be
considered that it looks as though the
policy of drift and waiting for some
thing to turn up would continue until
Santiago has fallen. The fall of San
tiago will convince the most sanguine
of the hopelessnesso of the struggle and
will give the government the desired
opportunity to at least suggest an ar
mistice for the decision of terms. Cir
cumstantial statements are already in
circulation to the effect that the war
is virtually ended and that the gov
eminent has actually opened peace ne
gotiations, but they cannot be veri-
fed A detailed account has been
published of Spain's naval losses-2l
warships and 81 merchantmen, as
against practically no losses on the
American side. This tends to con-
vince the most rabid war advocates,
and as for long time past, the whole
commercial and industrial interests of
Spain are bringing strong influence to
bear in favor of peace.
WHAT A PARIS NEWSPAPER SAYS.
PARIS, July 1.-THE Madrid corre-
spondent of the Temps says: The end
is impatiently awaited, even the gov
eminent no longer attempting to dis
guise it's conviction that, after the fall
of Santiago, the time will have come
for thinking about overtures of peace,
especially as all the European chancel-
tories advise this course. Gen. Blanco
cables that it will be impossible for
endorsements to reach Santiago in
time to aid in the defense, the dura-
tion of which will depend upon the
supply of food and ammunition, unless
the garrison attempts a desperate
sortie.
The Temps, commenting upon the
foregoing dispatch from its Madrid
correspondent, says: What should de-
eide neutral cabinets to give wise coun-
sells to Madrid is not only the fact that
the latest developments of the war
have entirely changed the complexion
of the situation, which was already
grave enough for Spain, but the fur
ther fact that there are trustworthy
indications of a beginning of reac-
ton in favor of peace in official circles.