The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 26, 1898, Page 1

AN Y | The VOLUME L XIII.—NO. 116. SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1898. PRICE FIVE CENTS. WAR MAY BE DECLARED WITHIN THE NEXT TEN DAYS SPAIN WILL SEND A HOSTILE ANSWER TO THIS COUNTRY UNITED STATES CRUISER BROOKLYN, THE FLAGSHIP OF THE FLYING SOUADRON. TORPEDO FLEET A ME NACE TO .. THIS COUNTRY Better Begin the ing It Than Giv vantage of | NEW YORK, March 25.—The Herald’s Washington correspondent telegraphs: In spite of the dec- larations of members of the Cab- inet and the officials of the State Department that the departure of | g the Spanish torpedo flotilia from the Canary Islands cannot be con- sidered a menace to the United | States under the rules of interna- tional law, it is stili so construed by many officers and officials of the Navy Department. There is every reason, naval officers believe, why the torpedo flotilla should not be permitted to reach Cuban waters, and the plan | was discussed at a conference to-| < day of having the flotilla inter- cepted by United States naval vessels in the neighborhood of St. Thomas and either compelled to turn back or surrender. Such action, it is realized, would | be an act of war, but there are officials in the Navy Department who think that the United States would better take the responsibil- ity of committing the first hostile act than allow the Spaniards to ob- tain such a decided advantage as they would have if the torpedo flotilla should succeed in reaching Havana. According to authoritative in- formation received from Madrid to- day, naval officers there regard the sailing of the fleet asa menace and a threat to the United States, and are exultingly and openly talking * of it as being a distinct advantage gained over this country. High officials of the Navy De- partment consider the coming of this strong torpedo flotilla to strengthen the Spanish naval Pforce in Cuban waters as adding so much to the gravity of the sit- uation that they held a special conterence to-day to discuss what action should be taken. It is realized that if the torpedo- War by Destroy- e Spain the Ad- ts Presence. [OJoloIolororooroYoYoloYoYoYoXoTo) ?% PLAY FOR PEACE. :i:)z Copyright, 1808, by James Gor- don Bennett. MADRID, Ma 5.—In spite of the absolutely nistic views taken of the situation, Iam in a position to st that there is yet a large margin of possibility that war may be averted and a settlement arrived at. Even yes- terday the Spanish Government knew of the verdict of the Maine Commission, and to-morrow will know it officially. Its official re- ception will lead to a council at which a proposition will be made regarding the situation and a scheme put forth for a peaceful solution of the question. That proposition may be startling and unexpected, but it will voice the sentiment of the extreme liber- als, Including Sagasta and Moret.. Their views will either dominate and secure peace, or we may expect, without any kind of a doubt, a ministerial crisis. I have had a serious talk with one of Spain's foremost and most liberal men to-day, which convinces me that unless the United States absolutely insists on war, Spain has in hand a means of avolding it. ® ® l® |® |® [OXOROXOXOJOROJOJOROJOROXOJORCROXOXO) | Havana or some other Cuban har- ibur the task of the United States fleet in the event of war would be | made much harder. It will add | greatly to the danger of attempt- ing to take Hdvana if the swift torpedo-boats are there to supple- | ment the wo k of forts and the | larger Spanish vessels and make sudden dashes upon first one and then the other of the American at- tacking fleet. It will also make the task of blockading Havana ex- ceedingly difficult if these vessels are on hand ready to run out un- der cover of darkness and attack the vessels of the blockading squadron. With Havana as a base of oper- ations, the torpedo flotilla might even threaten the vessels of the boats once get into the harbor of | United States at Key West. IOICICIOJOJOJOJOJooJoJoJofoJooooYoXcRoToToToYoYolololololoJoJoIoloIoXoXoIO) ADMIRAL BERMEJO, JSpain's Minister of Marine, Who Is Now Considering the Cabled Report of the Spanish Board of Inquiry Into the Cause of the Maine Explosion. (By the courtesy of J. Tauzy & Co., 6 Post street.) Still President McKinley Is Working Hard to Avoid an Outbreak of Hostilities. in the Face of the Maine Report and the Coming of the Spanish Torpedo Flotilla Congress Shows Signs of Acting on Its Own Responsibility. NEW YORK, March 25. | Fiaasgsatosaae BBaas A ReLoRac oo B0 SPAIN AND AMERICA HAVE REACHED THE PARTING OF THE WAYS. The Herald’s European Edi- } + tion publishes the following | from its correspondent: Mad- | + rid, Saturday — At a late 3¢ hour I find that the Spanish| + reply to the United States|3 will not be anything like + what the sanguine optimists| 3 expected, and the outlook |+ consequently ‘is decidedly serious. | NEW YORK, March 25.—The Her- R R R S S S g co! WASHINGTON, March 25.—The Court of Inquiry appointed to in- vestigate the cause of the Maine disaster has reported that the loss of the battleship was due to an outside - explosion. The State Depart- ment, by direction of the President, has cabled United States Minister Woodford, at Madrid, to notify the Spanish Government of th The President and his Cabinet advisers held two extended ses- sions to-day, one at 10:30 a. m. and another at 3:30 p. m., at which the report was considered in detail. Members of the Cabinet stated that af- ter the meeting the discussion was of a grave character, and that never since the wrecking of the Maine has the situation seemed so critical. The Spanish Government has cabled offiefally to Washington that the Spanish Naval Commission holds the disaster to the Maine to be of internal origin. The Government of Spain, it can be stated positively, is not disposed to turn back the torpedo fleet now proceeding from the disinclined to consider a suggestion from this sion. Canaries, and would be Government tending to interfere with the disposition own naval for-es. War preparations on an unprecedented scale are being hurried to completion by the War and Navy Departments, and the country prac- tically is on a war footing. /O R willing to go to war over the Maine because i ncentrados, but he is not conclu- by Spain of her P L T OSSOSO ORe R R T T RS PP PGP REPE GET NO Earn the Ill United NEW YORK,March 25.—The Her- ald’s Washington correspondent tele- graphs: European mediation will not be offered to the United States and Spain with a view to securing an ad- justment of the differences existing between them. Even if it were con- templated, and the officials have no knowledge of such intention, they de- clare that, while the relations be- tween the Washington and Madrid Governments are very much strained, the trouble has not yet reached a point where the mediation of a third power is absolutely necessary for the maintenance of peace. It is confidently believed that | Spain will oe unable to count upon | the assistance of a third power in the event of hostilities. The Presi- dent has been using the authority given him to purchase ships abroad SPANISH WILL HELP | FROM EUROPE ‘Not One of the Powers Cares to! Will of the States. to put foreign Governments in a po- sition where, should they now sell to | Spain, they wil be guilty of an un- friendly act toward the United States. All the available snips in the market have been negotiated for by agents of this Government, and as a result the officials express the opinion that the Madrid Government has now no chance of acquiring formidable ves- sels. Italy has been the only power be- sides Austria which has been re- garded with some suspicion, and the fact that the Rome Government has announced its willingness to sell ships to this nation indicates clearly that it has no intention of jyining in an offensive alliance against the United States. : A diplomat of experience, close t> Continued on Second Page. ald’s Washington correspondent tele- graphs: The situation here to-night is more critical than it has been at any time since the Spanish question reached an acute stage. Even the most con- servative’ believe that unless Spain re- cedes from her position hostilities may break out within the next ten days. The cry of the war party is now or never. The Herald’s Washington correspond- ent telegraphs: Taut as a bowstring is the tension, and lights are burning late in the White House. The Cabinet has been twice in session considering the re- port of the Maine Court of Inquiry, and at midnight the President is in con- ference with tried friends and confiden- tial advisers. The crisis over the de- struction of the battleship approaches, and popular interest is at white heat. How great is that interest is shown by the crowds in Washington. The hotels are jammed. The city has not had so many visitors since the inauguration of President McKinley. They are all at- tracted by the prospect of exciting times in Congress when the President trans- mits to it the report of the Court of Inquiry. But just now all eyes are on the Pres- ident. _The determination of the admin- istration not to be hurried into war in- opportunely, and for that matter not to be hurried into war at all over the destruction of the Maine, shows no signs of being weakened. The Maine crisis is not th_ only crisis the President has in mind. Back of the Maine he sees Cuba. He is willing to go to war over Cuba, if Spain will not permit the United States to feed the suffering re- @009 909P999P0PPPOP P00 090090 PP9PPV90900990000009090000000000000009P90PP000PPP90099060 06 i NEWS OF THE DAY. Weather forecast for San Fran- Probably falr on Saturday; clsco: brisk to high northwest wind. Maximum temperature for the past twenty-four hours. San Franci: 48 degrees Portland . 44 degrees Los Angeles. 60 degrees San Diego. 58 degrees FIRST PAGE. Spain’s Reply Will Be Hostile, Torpedo Flotilla a Menace. Europe Will Not Help Spain. SECOND PAGE. Rushing Work at Mare Island. Red Cross Officers Disagres Holds Spain Responsible. War Paint for the Navy. Seamen Wanted at Once. Spain Fortifying Porto Rico. Expect to Arbitrate Troubles Mangrove Goes to Havana. To Blockade Cuban Ports. New Torpedo Boat Bought. Major Pope in Boston. THIRD PAGE. Senators Talk for War. New Gun for San Francisco, Revenue Cutters for the Navy The New Flying Squadron. Situation Grows More Grave FOURTH: PAGE. Boss Rea Plays for Time. Hunters Slain, by & Moose. Leonard Dies by the Rope. Fusionists in Oregon Divide. Murder at Dawson City. Tons of Gold From Klondike Held Prisoner in a Hotel. Ratlroad Men in Session. Floods in the Ohlo, FIFTH PAGE. Hot Session of the House. Rain Pleases the Farmers. No Trace of Train Robbers. Suicide of a Banker. Attacked by Two Robbers. Fight for the Kasson Money. Serfous Situation in the Far East. SIXTH PAGE. Editorial. The Water Front Scandal. Vain Tricks in Hawall, The Primary Law Decision. Warnings to Klondikers. The Battle of the Books. A Good Selection. Personals and Queries. SEVENTH PAGE. News of the Water Front. Says Irene Lynch Was Wayward Arrest of a Girl for Burglary. W. J. Bigg7, the New Registrar. Laxity in Admitting Chinese. EIGHTH PAGE. The Semi-Centennial Expesition. NINTH PAGE. Arrival of Marion Crawford. Lightening the New York. Funeral of Lieutenant Burke. Queer Jobs in the School Board. TENTH PAGE. Sports of All Kinds. 3 ELEVENTH PAGE. Sold an Estate for a Song. Preparing for a Masonfc Fete. Frauds in Street Work. TWELFTH PAGE. The Commercial World. THIRTEENTH PAGB. News From Across the Bay. Fashions in Easter Hats. FOURTEENTH PAGE. Racing at Ingleside. Schism In a Mission Army. FIFTEENTH PAGE. Births, Marriages and_Deaths. SIXTEENTH PAGE. Summary of the Ferry Scan: 9000000000 OOCOCOISS POP0000006000600006060® O960000600060000000 00099009000 609000000000000000$0000000000000000000000000000000000000009 war, in the eyes of the civilized world, would not be justified, for two rea- | sans. First—We cannot prove that Spain blew up a United States ship. Second—We cannot trace her respon- | sibility so far even as to justify a blunt demand for indemnity. Therefore, it would be readily per- ceived that all the talk at the Cabinet | meetings and the President’s night con- ‘fercnccs has been of peace, so far as the Maine report is concerned. What is in the Maine report, aside from the infor- mation that it was an outside explosion by a submarine mine, which everybody knew through the Herald long ago. has not been permitted to leak in detail from | the Cabinet. | One of the conferences at the White House was between the President, Judge George F. Edmunds of Vermont, and Second Assistant Secretary of State Adee. This conference was about the note to be sent to Spain about the Maine disaster. This note is not to be a demand for indemnity. It is rather a | representation. The difference between a demand and a representation in this instancg is that a demand would put us in the position of adjudging the Spanish nation guilty of crime, where a representation, such as is being penned, will state our view of the case and leave Spain to treat it mm a way that might avert war. This representation will be written by Judge Edmunds and Mr. Adee, and one of the points to be laid before Spain will be this clause from Article VI of the treaty with Spain: «“Each party shall endeavor by all means in their power to protect and defend all vessels and other effects belonging to citizens or subjects of the other which shall be within the | extent of their jurisdiction by sea or by land.” ‘When this note goes to Spain the President will be ready to send the re- port of the Court of Inquiry to Con- gress, and this will be done on Monday. Then will come the crisis. The pro- gramme will be to have the report quiet- ly referred in the Senate to the Com- mittee on Naval Affairs, and in the House to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. This will gain time and driit the poor old Maine into the channels of diplomacy. If this be accomplished, well and good. The immediate danger of hostilities over the Maine will be passed and the President will be free to address Congress on his plan to “feed or fight,” in connection with the general situation. How tremendously anxious the administration is about the conduct of Congress is shown by the tremendous work being done among the members of the Senate. The Sen- ate is still regarded as a tinder box. Yet a poll has been made of that body for the President, and the report is that