Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-03-04

| war, vas first appointed president of the
council and for a time the cabinet re-
maine1 unchanged. But on Sept 30 it
resigned, and SenOr Sagasta assumed
Office on Oct. 4, confronted by the
| troubles in Cuba and in the Philippine
| islands.
One of the first steps taken by Senior
Sagasta was to recall General Weyler,
the then captain general of Cuba, who
was succeeded by General Blanco. But
| the situation did not improve. and Spain
| was cOurteOusly. but firmly. warned that
| the United States could not much longer
| maintain neutrality in the face of the
terrible situation of affairs in Cuba. and
| the damage which American interests
We're suffering therefrom.
Spain. however. refused to regard the
situation from the American point of
view and diplomatic relations with the
United States We're broken off on April
q last. Even then there were rumOrs Of
trouble in the Spanish cabinet. and after
the victory of the United States fleet un-
der Commodore Dewey on May /, the
situation became more and more
ut IIllHlSttI VI IIihIlIlt, Au-
miral Bermejo; the minister of war,
General Correa, and especially the min
lister for the colonies, We're repeatedly
attacked in parliament and out of it.
and the cabinets resignation was ten
dered May Ii, 1895
The difficulty was to find men who
were wiling to assume Office under the
conditions which then prevailed in
Spain. An empty treasury, internal dis
orders and the loss of the Philippine ISL
ands, Cuba and Porto Rico were not the
only problems confronting the Spanish
ministers, and it was not astonishing,
under the circumstances. that a military
dictatorship under, possibly, Marshal de
Campos, was discussed.
Instead of a dictatorship or n new
ministry, however Senior Sagasta re-
constructed his own cabinet Four
members of the old ministry retired. The
reconstructed cabinet was announced
AS originally announced. the ministry
contained the name of Senor Castillo as
minister of foreign affairs, but he de-
clined the place, and few days after
wards the Duke of Almodovar de Rio
accepted it.
On July II Sagasta again placed his
resignation in the hands of the queen
regent but ii was not accepted. In
October, General Gamazo. minister of
public instruction. left the cabinet and
formed new division of the Liberal
party.
Washington. March ITO carry out
the presidents promise relative to the
protection of German residents and prop
erty In the Philippines. a cable dispatch
has been sent to Admiral Dewey and ore
to General Otis instructing them on that
point. The published statement that the
German proposition included the extern
sion of the protection of the United
States over German interests in the
Samoan group. 1t Is said at the state de-
partment. Is erroneous. The German
ambassadors proposition touched only
imposes upon the three treaty powers
which undertook the government of
Samoa the duty of maintaining one or
more warships there at intervals. and the
protocols to the treaty show that no mat
ter what may be the nationality of the
vessel that happens to be on the station
In the event Of trouble she is to prote ct
the interests OF all three treaty powers
without discrimination.