The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-01-06
ITS RECORD MADE UP
Leading Events of 1893 in the Old
and New Worlds.
EPITOME OF SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.

EpITOME OF SPANISH AMERICAN WAR. |
Important Actions of Congress "A
Great Year for Trade-An Out
line of Himtory Made In Many
Foreign Lands.
The year 1898 will always be one Of the
most memorable in the history of the
United States. 1t was the year of victory
In a war with a foreign nation and the year
In which the republic relinquished its iso-
lated position and entered upon its career
as world power. 1t is unnecessary to re-
view in close detail the swiftly occurring
events of the war with Spain, as they are
fresh In the memory of every reader. 1t be-
gan in the interests of humanity and for
the protection of American interests; it
has closed with The extinguishment of the
colonial sovereignty of Spain and the eX-
tension OF the area of the United States,
bringing with it new duties and RESPONSE
pllltleS. To-day the stars and stripes wave
over Cuba, Porto Rico the Philip&ines and
the Ladrones. Looking at the struggle
briefly. war existed when the battleshlp
Maine was blown up in Havana harbor,
FEBRUARY 10. On the Sth of March con-
sress voted unanimously and without de-
pate defense fund OF $50,000,O0G On the
maholng that Spain relinquish its authority
ana government in the island of Cuba and
Wlthuraw Its land and naval forces from
CUBA and Cuban waters. On the 25th of
| April the president stated in his message
to congress the causes of war which con-
gless mad already declared to have existed
since April Il, and announced the severance
OF diplomatic relations with Spain. Events
now moved swiftly. April % congress
passed The volunteer army bill and voted an
embargo on coal and war material. April
- the president called for 125,OOO volun-
teers and April "a Spain declared war.
' Military operations actively ensued. They
1 may be summed up in this brief statement.
naestruction of the Spanish feet at Manila
Santiago July 8: surrender of Santiago
July IA; invasion of Porto Rico July 81.
C ~ me 18th Of July Spain, through Nj.
what terms of peace were demanded. Aft,
er oeilperatlon the president replied, de-
manding the evacuation of Cuba, the ces-
sion OF Porto Rico and one of the Ladrones
ana certain concessions in the Philippines,
to be settled by joint commission. on the
lztn Of august the protocol was signed and
hostilities We're suspended. September q
the peace commission began its sessions
and December 10 the treaty was signed,
seven sesa =. months nor, and - days after the
fought and a treaty made in shorter time
than this. The treaty win undoubtedly BE-
ra.neG widh f1 rev weeks and then this
board OF the nations as war power, pre-
| pared to execute the new duties imposed
upon 1t. Rarely also has war been fought
with SO little comparative loss. No offieiai
report has been made of Spain's losses
but the total casualties upon the American
enlisted men killed. 257; total, $50: officers
wounded. lis; enlisted men wounded, 1,464; :
total; 1,5T. OF the navy: Killed, II: wound
from service. 6: total, 81 Spain lost 35 war
vessels: the United States, none The cost
OF the war to the United States was about
m MOI otNn,,k Hy.
have gained LILO square miles Of Territory.
with s,ss2. 7es population. not including Cuba
Work of Congress.
SO much Of the time of congress was
the war and the legislation which it neces-
STATED that It did not have much leisure
fol- other subjects. OF the war measures
the evacuation OF Cuba, which were fol-
lowed by the declaration of war by Spain.
were the war n. revenue law and the act for
war revenue law, with its stamp taxes and
its increased beer tax, will remain on the
statute books for year at least. Under
amount of s2oOooo,ooo were sold. -S = 'Ae
The other notable events in congress were
ment Of bankruptcy law. The necessary
two-thirds vote could not be obtained for
the r rat. . Of the treaty for the an
Spain began no difficulty was found In
adopting a joint resolution which made the
islands part OF the United States. The
bankruptcy act, which provides for both
voluntary and Involuntary bankruptcy is
the first the United States has had since
1878. II will be In full force after this date.
The less important measures of the ses-
sion were the creation Of an Industrial COM
mission to investigate immigration. labor.
manufacture and business: the prohibition
Of the killing of fur seals in the North Pa
c!fic and the importation of sealskins: the
enactment of an Alaskan homestead and
ton Of railroads. and the prohibition of tho
CARRYING of merchandise, directly or ndi-
rectly, between United States ports in for
elgn vessels.
Great Year for Trade.
The development of American trade and
commerce during the last twelvemonth has
been so great as to excite the enyious won
DER o. the w, W9rld The aoo value n of domestic
1t was II 2oO. 100000. The silver exports will
add about $4,000, 600 to that imposing total.
The value OF the imports was less than in
portations in the last-named year in ailtici-
patton OF the passage Of the Dingley tariff
law. But aside from that the fact is APP
parent that this country is making for it.
self more and more Of the goods it used
to BUY abroad. and that the Importation OF
crease. The exports were so large last wear
because the demand for American wheat
did not decrease materially, this country
supplying over SO per cent. of the European
demand for foreign wheat; because the Eu-
ropeans who began purchasing American
corn in 1897 found that 1t was a most de-
sirable commodity and kept on buying il
lin 1898 to the extent of 20O,OOO0OO bushels
and because the newly-discovered ability
of the American iron and steel manufacture
ers to undersel the rest of the world en-
abled this country to sell half as much
again of those metals and their products
last year as in the preceding year.
The supremacy Ct the United States IN
is conceded now. The Americans have not
only beaten their English competitors in
neutral markets. like Australia, India and
Russia, but have invaded English markets
and undersold the Englishmen at home.
getting contracts for iron pipe to be laid
in English cities and steel rails for English
roads. The American iron industry throye
last year, but the indications are that II
will be even more prosperous in 1899. The
output of pig iron last year was ii, 500. 0oG
tons. the greatest ever yet reached by 900.
600 tons This years output will be still
greater.
The excess of exports of merchandise md