Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-07-30
How War Was Forced With Spain.


How War Was Forced With Spain.
1t was the country's belief at thu
! time President Mckinley was laborinl
with might and main to avert wal
with Spain and only yielded TO the
overwhelming demand Of congress and
the country after every diplomatic re.
source had been exhausted to bring
Spain to some reasonable terms.
There is no chance for doubt of the
feeling of congress and the country
by whom the President was much
condemned for his seeming reluc-
lance. Nor can it be doubted that in
the early months Of the winter Of 90
he was sincerely anxious to solve the
Cuban question without war and even
horeful at one time of doing 1t. And
| it is the cold fact OF history, though
the public had no means of knowing
it at the time and did not believe it,
that it might have been done: the
President after standing up so brave
ly for weeks, yielded to the pressure
at Just the wrong time, and thereafter
became most headlorg in forcing hos.
Utilities.
Decisive proof OF the fact was in
the terms of his ultimatum, after the
passage of the act Declaring that
Cuba of right ought to be free and
independent and authorizing the pres
ident to use the land and naval forces
of the United States to make ii so.
Congress in this act specified no time
in which this should be dore and |
the reasonable construction was that
a reasonable time should be given |
Spain in which to get out.
But the President in his ultimatuni
gave no reasonable time. He de-
manded an answer within iS hours
whether Spain would relinquish the
island or not. He knew that it was i'm
possible to give an answer in that time,
because SPANS constitution req aired
the action of tho Cortez to ALLEVIATE
territory, and even if the Cortez had
been 10 session, 60 such act could be
got through it in that time. H knew
hat the Spanish cabinet was power
ess to act. He, therefore, forced the
var.
At the time this plain fact did not ,
eem to be of much Importance for the
general idea was that war was newt
.bls anyway. because it would mean
uin to the Spanish dynasty to yield. ,
aut the diplomats correspondence of g
hose exciting days between Madrid i
nd Washington proves that this idea O
vas mistaken and with reasonable !,
ime given to let herself down easy h
pain would have conceded every. {
hing demanded March 10 Gen !"
Voodford, the American minister at !.
Iadrid, cabled: L
| believe Spanish government will q
fer without compulsion ard upon its I
wn motion such terms of s-ttl ament tt
5 msy be satisfactory to both pa- Il
ions. | believe it will be a tC
leasure to Spanish government to tt
ropose what will re satisfactory to Il
Oh. ~
Secretary Day replied that the p'
general conditions in Cuba could r,
not be lorger endured" and seven h;
iys later proposed as terms, first, au so
until October, during which OF
sgotiatious between Spain and the r
surgents should proceed through :"
e friendly offices of the United States yo
I'd ~ the immediate revocation of 10
e order allowing the people to re, r.
IN to their farms and the needy to
relieved with provisions and sup fri
IFS from the United States. Within In
rec days the Spanish government n
elded the second demand about re- fro
ncentration. Tires days later Wood. go
I'd reported that the first would be 80
elded, and the Austrian ambassador hha a
d offered to guarantee it. and txo | +,
ys later, April 3, telsgraphed a on
defamation of armistice which the go
ieen proposed to Issue st the re.
est of the Pope, and asked if that
uld prevent war. Though this ap- bv
oached a full compliance with the use
OWN terms, the Only reply III
: that he would submit it to Gun I Hol
IS. Then four DAYS later. or April "a,
Wcodfcrd reported that Spain had ga