The herald., 1898-03-27
EXPECTED THE VERDICT
WHICH WAS RENDERED BY THE
MAINE COURT
SPAIN IN FOR A HAMMERING
English Experts Expect the Don to Do
Some Thumping Himself Before
He Is Whipped
Associated Press Special Wire


~ LONDON, March 26.-(Cpyright. 1885,
Although public opinion on this side of the
Atlantic, as in America. had already dis
counted the findings Of the United States
court of inquiry into the loss of the Maine
and actual confirmation was expected, the
verdict served only to whet peoples appe-
tites. 1t has in now way alleviated the
suspense or the anxiety in regard to the
immediate effect produced by the report,
nor the eagerness to know the position
which President Mckinley and his cabinet
propose to take in this difficult and deli
cate situation. So intense is the interest in
the latest turn of the Kaleidoscope that it
has immeasurably increased the nervous
tension which has been agitating Europe
for the last three months There is little
hope here that hostilities can be avoided,
and 1t is believed that the revelation, now
officially made, will so combine the other
factors of the situation as to make war
inevitable, though it is still regarded as
possible that Spain, at the last moment, Will
see the hopelessness of maintaining her
position and will yield to the inevitable,
without, as a British admiralty official said,
having the lesson numerically hammered
into her, although the hammering may
possibly not be accomplished until after
, her spirits have been raised by a tempor-
ary success.
So far as it is possible to ascertain the
general diplomatic opinion, it can be
summed up in the words of foreign office
officer, who remarked: 1.-The preservation
of peace depends upon the temper Spain
displays when the inevitable notificati ton is
delivered.
1.-The president proposes to relieve the
suffering by distributing food clothes and
medicines from American warships and
transports, precisely as Great Britain is
now, unofficially and on smaller scale,
doing in Crete, and unless Spain pockets
her overweening conceit, which has hith-
erto made the recognition of her failure
impossible to her, a rupture must come
from that quarter, and Spain will put her
self hopelessly in the wrong. Spain's pre-
tensions of preparedness for war and her
finance minister's assurance that she has
sufficient funds therefor, are equally un-
tenable, unless the latter contemplat tes the
immediate suspension of specie payments
and the payment of the interest on the
debt in paper. The truth is that Spain is no
more In position to fight the United States
than was Greece to fight Turkey. The one
great hope of the European chancelors is
that the president will succeed in delaying
the explosion until, under the guise of au-
tonomy, arrangements may possibly be
made to facilitate Spains giving up Cuba.
1T must be remembered that for two
years, although Spain has at times as
sumed a vigorous attitude, she has invari-
ably failed to maintain it when the crisis
was reached. The suggestion of the con-
tinental press of intervention upon the
part of the European powers is mischiev-
Gus, and nothing is more certain to pro-
woke hostilities.'
SPANISH FINANCES
The Statist says: 1.-The government is
Indebted to the Bank of Spain for between
1900, 900 and 12,0 900 pesetas, about 40 per
cent more than in 1897, and the position of
the bank is such that the suspension of
specie payments is bound to follow any
large tender of notes. It's bullion is only
40 per cent of it's note circulation
According to Madrid advices the papers
there are whistling loudly, trying to rouse
sense of wrong with the doctrine that
war de fact was declared when the United
States permitted support to be furnished
to the insurgents.
Early during the week strict censorship
denuded the newspapers of news and Gre
ated widespread alarm. This was en-
hanced by the suppression of all news of
the movements of the Spanish torpedo flo
tilla and the announcement that a cruiser
would accompany the destroyers which
was taken to mean that the Spaniards
feared attempts would be made by the
United States to stop the fotilla on the
way to Porto Rico.
Great interest is taken in the elections to-
morrow for the members of the Spanish
chamber of deputies 1t is reported that
Gen. Weyler has telegraphed to his friends
In Cuba to withdraw their candidatures
for seats in the Cuban chamber.