The evening times., 1898-03-07
MONDAY. MARCH =. 1898.
A Fever.d situation.

Yesterday. after admitting The truth OF
SPANS demand for General Lees recall
and confirming the correctness OF other
matters heretofore suppressed boy the Ad-
ministration. Judge Day. with the APP
pearanDe Of much wisdom, observed lhat
he did not regard the situation as
acute" Readers OF papers which print
The facts Of that situation this morning
will not be likely to agree with the learn
I'd jurist and diplomat However. such a
difference Of opinion between judge ana
Jury is not occasion for the least sur
prise The former did not consider the
situation acute" on January 81 when
The Times warned the Government that
there was a mine under The Maine. or
when Captain Sigsbee was ordered not 10
take any precautionary measures to save
his ship. which might ~avor of suspicion
that our Spanish ally was acting in bad
faith. He did no; think himself ur the
situation very acute" when the Span
iards Llew up the Maine and massacrcd
its crew: because how could friendly
power. for whose benefit we had spent
millions and used our whole navy. do any
thing unkind to us?
In fact. IL must be understood that no
situation could be considered acute which
did not threaten destruction 10 the Span
ish-Cuban bond deal. II is true that the
dispatches from Havana show most
alarming condition OF affairs which will
not be mended by Ar Mckinley refusal
10 recall General Lee. The city is 40 the
mercy of a bloodthirsty mob. liable To
rise and butcher al Americans. and We
have not any naval force there to pro-
tect them nor the unarmed boats upon
which the Board Of Inquiry is conducting
its sessions.
la this latter fact there is food for the
greatest apprehension. ], would be eN-
actly in consonaure with Spanish policy
and character. 10 precipitate war with
this country by sinking the ManErove
and killing the members Of the Board.
That would dispose forever Of the possi-
bility Of such a report and the exposure
Of such evidence as the Spanish govern
ment and nation have every reason to
fear will be the outcome Of the inquest
But. even IL the Board should manage to
slip away in advance of new act Of
treachery, our consul general and citi-
zens should not longer be left in their
present exposed position. They should all
be notified to leave Havana Immediately
and a squadron should be sent to receive
and carry them to place Of safety.
Otherwise, the probabilities are that the
long expected massacre will take place.
with every attention 10 detail. in ac-
cordance with the genius and disposition
Of a Spanish mob of drunken conscripts
and jaiihird guerrilas
Our authorities need not expect any pro-
lection to our people from Blanco. His
regular army, equally with the volun-
teers is ugly and mutinous. and he will
have enough 20 do to save his own neck
in the event of an outbreak There is
terrible suspicion beginning TO take form
i'm Washington that the demand FOR Lees
recall was made with the deliberate pur-
pose Of inciting the Havana mob to mur-
derous violence. In case il was not
promptly conceded. If such a result
should follow. the position Of tn A m mis-
tration before the American people may
be imagined. but We do not care TO de-
scribe it.
ley's inside advisers have succeeded in
compelling him 10 take with regard to
Spain and Cuba. is seen to have created
all the terrible conditions Of the hour.
II he had recognized Cuban belligerency
in the early months of his Administration
all Of this annoyance and untold thou
sands OF lives would have been spared. In
taking that action the President would
simply have been doing what Spain did
directly after the firing upon Fort Sum
ter, and that would have ended the in
ternational strain. But Cuba would have
been free before now. and without debt
while the Spanish-Cuban bondholders
would have lost their speculative invest
ment and the last hope OF reaping a profit
of two or three hundred million dollars
at the expense of the patient American
taxpayer.
Nevertheless, we must take things as We
find them, and support our Government in
any and every movement IL may honor
ably make to prepare for hostilities. We
are heartily in accord with the Executive
action in ordering additional men to be
recruited for the Navy in advance Of Con-
gressional sanction. We should support
MIR. Mckinley if he ordered the organiza-
ton Of the two needed heavy artillery
regiments, in the face Of Speaker Reeds
opposition and we should be ready TO
back him most enthusiastically IL he
were 10 cancel that Satanic individuals s
exeouatur and send him back to Spain in