The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-23
Washington Bureau st. Paul Globe, Z
Corcordn BuiIdinJ.

Special to The St. Paul Globe.
WASHINGTON, March 22.-This city
is waiting for developments in the
Cuban crisis, The atmosphere is one
of suppressed nervousness. Every body
is feverishly eager to learn conclusions
concerning what has so long been a
subject of speculation. and pending the
results waiting" without fully daring
to express positive opinion or even
to hold one
The suspense is wearylng in the ax-
IRENE. No other topic than our strain
ed relations with Spain receives any
attention or any honest discussion; de-
bates in congress upon questions which
would ordinarily be regarded as highly
chance they bear in some way, even
remotely, upon the Vexed problem
which overshadows everything else
And in the same MANNER all the Cuban
discussion centers around the one point
that this is time TO await Develop
ments: that it cannbt now be known
whether diplomacy viii be able to find
the way out " Il
The painfulness of this suspense, in
volving as it does terrible loss to
business. is teaching the country one
important lesson; 1t is shelving the in
convenience, so to speak, of a method
often proposed for bringing affairs to
conclusion-the naming of a date by
which either Spain must put down the
insurrection, or we must step in. This
plan has been frequently suggested,
and Secretary Olney gave an inkling in
his last report that, If the Cleveland
administration had continued in office,
it would doubtless have fixed such
limit. But the suspense of the last
few weeks has shown the country how
distressing it would he for us, to say
oil Of r,ff he o,,@;o
the controversy, to endure a probation
of that kind. A sword would be hans-
ing over us with trade Stagnant or
languishing during the whole period.
Although Bra dstreet's reports that gen
eral business is not yet seriously affect
ed by the Cuban scare and the result
ing suspense, those lines which are
particularly mercurial, like the market
for securities, are already feeling it
badly, and the indications are that
business will flag generally unless the
horizon soon clears. Yet this suspense
is as nothing compared with that which
would accompany fixed term of wait
ing.
Suppose, for instances, the admins
tration were to serve notice upon
Spain. that, if the island of Cuba were
not pacif1ed by Nov. 1, the autonomy
plan in good working order, and the
reconcentrado barbafity ended, we
should proceed to our own settlement
of the case. 1t goes without saying
that the timidity Of the ucapital upon
which all industriab4 activity depends
would be hardly less1thaniin the midst
of an open struggle! During the last
fortnight little has been heard Of this
fixed limit plan, and it is not probable
that the president will now resort to it,
at least SO far as serving any public
notice is concerned; he may make up
his own mind as to the time at which
he had better take things into his own
hands, just as Mr.. Lincoln decided the
conditions upon which he would issue
the emancipation proclamation, but, if
counseIs. ~
The Maine board Of Inquiry has GER
tainly been very successful in keeping
its findings so close a secret. They
may be such that an amicable adjust
ment will be readily ;attainable, and
the country will have to fall back upon
the old general question in much the
same shape 1T has held for the last
three years. This is the general opin-
ion in Washington. Few persons here
expect necessary casus belli from the
Maine disaster, although the opportu-
nifty for disputed liability is great; but.
If neither party desires to make a. war
issue out Of it, there will be no trouble
In adjusting whatever disagreements
may result. 'F ~ 80 --'-esae7-