Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-03
w ashington Life
Some Interesting Phases
ana Conditions Observed
at the Nations Capital

Senator Depew's story regarding President
Mckinley and the Spanish war. told in con-
gress and in subsequent interviews, is not
considered good sample of the senator's
Justly celebrated humor. 1t is resented as
an assertion without substantial foundation
by men participating in the events proceed
ing the declaration Of war. In the colloquy
with Senator Hale, Senator Depew merely
declared his own personal knowledge that
there was a time when it would have been
possible TO have settled every question in
volved between Spain and the United
States upon terms just as favorable as were
received at the conclusion OF the war"
He did not assert then that President Nc
Kinley had knowledge of such a possibility.
But in the interview which he gave the
New York Times he did make the latter
assertion. He prefaced 1t with an account
of how a certain unarmed and unidenti-
fled but powerful exalted parsonage"
who was greatly interested in the pres
ervation OF peace and Spanish honor, had
busted himself to obtain from the United
States unofficial but authoritative assur-
ances that proposition from Spain to
relinquish sovereignty over Cuba would be
acceptable to this government.
This parsonage" said Mr., Depew,
who Is In a high place and has many
ramificatons, got in touch with persons
here in whom he has absolute confidence
To them he outlined his plan and obtained
their cooperation in setting the matter
before the government of the United
States. You see, in that way there could
be none of the records that would have
come into existence whether the pro-
possls had gone automatically from Spain
70 Ip
through third power.
How did the Spanish proposition act
ually get before President Mckinley"
Mr.. Depew was asked.
There was no proposition from any
power to any power" Mr.. Depew re-
piled quickly. There was simply a plan
put forward by this disinterested person
age through private channels. But there
was no Misunderstanding about it. The
president realized the situation fully"
When this matter was called to Justice
Days attention he read carefully the in
terview with Senator Depew, and then dc
tated the following;
THE statement of Senator Depew, as
reported in The New York Times, greatly
surprises me, 1t has never before been
intimsted, so far as l know, that Presi-
dent Mckinley ever received information
from any source before the outbreak of
the Spanish-American war that Spain
was willing to relinquish her sovereignty
over Cuba. have always understood that
such willingness was developed in the
negotiations for peace, which closed the
war, eliminating in the signing of the pro-
tocol of August y. 1908, in which Spain
relinquished all claim OF sovereignty over
that island.
president Mckinley communicated to
congress in his message OF April II. 1908,
the result OF the negotiations with the
Spanish government, looking to the bet
terment of conditions in Cuba and a
peaceful solution of the differences be-
tween the two governments, concluding
the message with a statement of the de-
cree OF the queen regent Of Spain direct
ing a suspension OF hostilities in order to
prepare and facilitate a peace. / am
sure that in this message congI ess was
fully advised OF the state of the negotia-
tons and OF all that was known or &C
complshed up to that time.
THE diplomatic correspondence, as pub
lished in the foreign relations of 1908, con-
tains a full statement OF the negotiations
and correspondence between the United