Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-24
WAC WROTE THE NOTE?

An entirely new theory about the
Pauncefote memorandum OF the lith
Of April, 1898, and about which there
has been 80 much controversy Is ad-
yanced by contributor to the san
FrancIpco Chronicle II Is to the ef-
feet that that document was Inspired
by President Mckinley, ana not by any
enemy Of the United States.
That writer takes the view that
President Mckinley believed that war
could be ayerted by bringing Spain to
realize the necessity Of granting the
Cubans Independence, His course at-
ter the sinking Of the Maine is taken
to prove this lie left no means un'
tried to avert prccipitate action. rs
II not possible he asks, that those
who we're close to the President may
have ayalled themselves of the good
offices Of Lord Pauncefote and sought
TO arrest the attention OF those VINO
were clomorlng for an advance on
Havana, by pointing out that the civil
ICED world would regard with disap-
proval war, wagsd against a nation
which practically offered to do every
thing the United States demanded In
order to avert conflict And then
he argues
uIt IL not a question whether such
representation would have had the et-
feet OF arrestlng hostilltles. After the
event II seems plain that the American
people were 40 DESTROYS OF punlshing
Spain that nothing could have dlssuad'
ed them from their purpose but up
10 the 1lth Of April, 1898, II Is quite clear
that there were still many who be-
lleved that the people Of the United
states would abandon the desire to
make war N they could be persuaded
that the civilized world was not on their
side. Evidently Lord Pauncefote en-
,ertnined this belief, otherwise he would
not have taken the extraordinary step
which we now know he did take, and
IL is not difficult 10 believe that ne
did so at the instance OF President Me-
Klnley'
But this Is not II seems the only
evidence for THIS startling proposition
The Washington Post, on the 18th of
this month put the following question TO
Judge Day, who was acting as secretary
of state at the time
"The statement Is made here that the
pauncef0te note ~ April IA. 1888, was
drawn by you In state Department
Is this correct|
TO this question the Judge merely
replied
impossible TO reply TO indefinite
statement OF your telegram
II Is argued that If the statement
had had no foundation Judge Day
would have violated no rules Of di-
plomacy, by saying that he mad moth
ing whatever to do with the formula
ton Of the document In controversy,
II Is difhcult to accept the hypothesis,
that the note which appears 10 censure
the American policy In the controversy
with Spain, was written at the insti-
CATION Of the President Of the coun-
try. II Is known, however, that the
note was written and signed by the
British ambassador The British gov
eminent has dsclalmed all RESPONSE
buy for It, Lord Pauncefote II IL
claimed, acted ON his own initiative on
the solicitation Of Spain through the
Austrian minister. But Spain, strongly
ascaimed all knowledge OF the incl
dent until the particulars We're print
ed short time ago, This renders the
AFFAIR so mysterious, that II is not to
be wondered at, II various theories are
formulated and find adherents,