The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-07
Spain Anxious to Make
OvertureS.
HER DESPERATESTRAlTS
Its Believed She L. on the Eve Of Ask
Ing for Favorable Tcrms-The Pow
or. will not Inserfere-The spanish
Had Condition The United state.
VIII Dictate the Terms for Peace.

Washington. June 5.-The belief IS
growing in best informed government
circles that Spain is sincerely anxious
TO rake peace. and that even nov she
IS seeking a favorable opportunity 10
max" overtu-es in that direction.
Numerous evidences OF .,.gs have como
10 the attention OF the authorities here
ou. up 10 this time no actual move has
been made toward asccriagninr on
what basis the United States would
consider peace.
II Is said that the first step would be
toward having some iisintcreste,
pow er make inquiry Of this government.
as & what terms would be accented
a. er which, the terms being stated u
would he for Spain to form a commis-
sion and make a formal tender OF pean.
The authorities here think that SpaIn
Is Keeling her way toward a movement
OF this kind. one evidence OF /, is thA
utterance Of the Spanish ambassador
at London, urging that a peace move
fnent Is opportune at This qIma T, l.
thougnt 10 be highly Improbable mar
d Spanlsh Official OF his rank Womb
MAKE a statement OF this kind unIess
II NoIced the view entertained ny tho
duthorltles at Madrid. Another CYL
uehCe IS the sending OF Senior Castillo
70 idf4S' MS principal mission being TO
enlist there and TO encourage
a movement oward securing peace ON
d oasis honorable to Spain. With this
comes the report of tn. serioue
embarrassment OF the Bank of
SPAN, on which the government
reliesh for funds to carry on the
war. The desperate condition Of the
spanish forces at Manila. Santiago and
havana are looked upon as added
reasons why Spain should De solicltous
at this time for peace.
BUT while Spain is thought to be nm
NlouS 10 secure peace, she aDpears IN
De unable to secur the services OF a
dlsnrerested power TO take the initia-
tion IN a peace movement. This was
the we" expressed today by a leading
embT of the diplomatic CORPS. He
said that much surprise had been
caused at foreign capitals by the re-
sentiment in the United States against
the kindly representations OF the great
powers, made to President Mckinley
some weeks ago which had been treat
ed ny the American press and by public
opinion throughout this country as an
entrusion on the part Of the powers.
For that reason tire efforts since
made by Spain to induce the European
powers to intervene had met with fiat
Iallure, eau none OF the powers
wish to aTouse the enrnity OF
the United States. For the same rea-
son, this official pointed out. the Euro
pean powers We're loth to befriend
Spain at the present time. even to the
extent Of making inquiry as TO what
basis of peace would be acceptable to
the United States" mo one power
would undertake such Inquiries" he
said, as 1T would subject tina power
to the possibility Of being %snubbed."
thought that a snub quite likely in
view OF the manner in which the kind
ly representation OF the powers had
been received some weeks ago. And
while no power was willing to act alone.
could the powers be brought to-
for united action along that
line. For this reason, 1t is pointed out
that SPANS isolation at the present
time made 1t extremely difficult for her
to secure any Intermediary by which
she could conduct initial steps toward
peace.