The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-09-28
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
: eraI Topics from
the Capital.
September %. 1906.

ficialS like them. Both the in
surgentS and the Palma govern
ment have been holding an ire
cOncilable pose, each declaring
that the other was everything
that it should not he, and making
the task Of Secretary TAFT as
peacemaker exceedingly difficult.
1t was even said at the State
Department late in the week
that armed Intervention on the
part OF the United States might
after all he necessary. This an
nouncement was received with
different emotions, according as
it touched the diplomatic or tue
militant department of the gov.
ernment. Armed Intervention in
Cuba just now might result in q
guerrilla war of year or more,
and would almost certainly force
this government to take perma-
uent possession of Cuba whether
it wanted to or not. This, OF
course, is just the thing that the
pro annexatiOnists would enjoy,
but it would he adding to the
"W hite Mans Burden" at a rate
not to be relished by a govern
ment which has uSt finished
paying off "a $40, 600, 900 insurrec-
tion in the Philippines. 1t is
barely possible that this govern
ment may intervene without act
ual hostilities. Neither the in.
snrgents nor the Palma govern
ment want to see civil war ram
pant i'll the island, aud for this
reason they may agree to let the
United States administer affairs
without attempting themselves to
interfere.
AT the same time the outlook
is not at all promising. The De
partment Of State does not pre-
tend to be thoroughly advised as
to the situation in Havana be-
cause President Roosevelt has
largely taken matters in his own
hands, and is in direct tele-
graphic communication with Sec
rotary Taft. But unofficial ad-
vices received from Havana agree
that it is almost impossible to
reconcile the difference between
the existing government and the
aspiring faction. 1t was said
at the State Department that the
American officials we're almost
ready to give up and that a rupt-
ure might occur at any time.
The officials did not admit having
any confrmatory advices, but
they were not cheerful over the
outlook.
One of the most curious feat.
ures of the situation is thst a
guerrilla war of any magnitude
will almost certainly necessitate
the establishment of reconcep.
trado camps, such as were the
deepest blot on the last months
of the Spanish occupation. Of
course, these camps need not be
such charnel houses as they
proved to be under General
Weyler. Similar camps were run
for the benefit of the Beers in
South Africa during the British
campaign there, but they are an
expensive luxury and would add
very heavily to the cost of an
American campaign in Cuba.
AS to the force at the disposal
of the United States, it is ample
to meet almost any emergency.
The new battleships the Louis.
lana, the Cleveland and the Vir.
ginia are already in the Ha-
vana harbor. The Marietta, the
Columbia and other vessels of the
cruiser and gunboat type are scat.
tered around the island, and fully
5000 marines and blue Jackets
could be landed at an hours no.
tice without crippling the work.
ing force of the great American
fleet. To send soldiers to Cuba
would necessitate hiring or buy
ing transports and would be an
expensive undertaking while the
insurgents are OF such n char.
acter that they could retreat to
the hills and keep up a guerrilla
campaign for long time before
they were finally crushed. Mean.
while Cuba would industrlally
stagnate and her era of material
prosperity, which had been one
of remarkable growth in the past
few years would be brought to an
abrupt close.
From high diplomacy to the
corner grocery is sudden and a
sad drop. But a very important
period has been reached in the
preparation of the Agricultural
Department to enforce the new
meat inspection law, and in all
probability this is of more imme.
date interest to the householder
than war and rumors of wars in
Cuba. The department has lust