VOLUME LXXXIII.— KG. 116.
WAR MAY BE DECLARED
WITHIN THE NEXT TEN DAYS
UNITED STATES CRUISER BROOKLYN, THE FLAGSHIP OF THE FLYING SQUADRON.
TORPEDO FLEET
A MENACE TO
THIS COUNTRY
Better Be^in the War by Destroy
ing It Than Give Spain the Ad
vantage of Its Presence,
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
the Spanish torpedo flotilla from
the Canary Islands cannot be con
sidered a menace to the United
States under the rules of interna
tional law, it is still 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 as a menace and
a threat to the United States, and
are exulting! y 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
in Cuban waters as adding
so much to the gravity of the sit
uation that they held a special
conference to-day to discuss what
i action should be taken.
It is realized that if the torpedo
k boats once get into the harbor of
The San Francisco Call
PLAY FOR PEACE.
Copyright, IKOS, by James Gor-
don Bennett.
MADRID, Mar. 25.— 1n spite of
the absolutely pessimistic views
Jaken of the situation, I am in a
position to state 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 avoiding it.
Havana or some other Cuban har
bor 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 Havana 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
United States at Key West
SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1898.
ADMIRAL BERMEJO,
Spain'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.)
SPANISH WILL
GET NO HELP
FROM EUROPE
Not One of the Powers Cares to
Earn the 111 Will of the
United States.
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- j
justment of the differences existing j
between them. Even if it were con- j
templated, and the officials have no j
knowledge of such intention, they de- j
clare that, while the relations be
tween the Washington and Madrid |
Governments are very much strained, \
the trouble has not yet reached a j
point where the mediation of a third |
power is absolutely necessary for the J
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
to put foreign Governments in a po
sition where, should they now sell to
Spain, they wu 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 joining in
an offensive alliance against the
United States.
A diplomat of experience, close to
Continued on Second Page.
SPAIN WILL SEND
A HOSTILE ANSWER
TO THIS COUNTRY
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.
The Herald's European Edi
tion publishes the following
from its correspondent: Mad
rid, Saturday — At a late
hour I find that the Spanish
reply to the United States
will not be anything like
what the sanguine optimists
expected, and the outlook
consequently is decidedly
serious.
NEW YORK, March 25— The Her-
aid'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
SPAIN AND AMERICA
HAVE REACHED THE
PARTING OF THE WAYS.
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, hy direction of the President, has cabled United States Minister
Woodford, at Madrid, to notify the Spanish Government of this conclu
sion. 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 officially 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
Canaries, and would be disinclined to consider a suggestion from this
Government tending to interfere with the disposition by Spain of her
own naval forces.
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.
concentrados, but he is not willinc
to go to war over the Maine because
NEWS OF THE DAY.
"Weather forecast for San Fran
cisco: Probably fair on Saturday;
brisk to high northwest wind.
Maximum temperature for the past
twenty-four hours.
San Francisco 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 Disagree
Holds Spain Responsible.
> War Paint for the Navy.
Seamen Wanted at Once.
» Spain Fortifying Porto Rico.
Expect to Arbitrate Troubles
v 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 Navj
> The New Flying Squadron.
> Situation Grows More Grave
> FOURTH PAGE.
> Boss Rea Plays for Time.
> Hunters Slain by a Moose.
> Leonard Dies by the Rope.
> Fusionlsts in Oregon Divide.
. Murder at Dawson City.
> Tons of Gold From Klondike
» Held Prisoner In a Hotel.
Railroad Men In Session.
> Floods in the Ohio.
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.
Serious Situation in the Far Eaat.
SIXTH PAGE.
Editorial.
The Water Front Scandal.
Vain Tricks in Hawaii.
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. Blggy, the New Registrar.
Laxity in Admitting Chinese.
EIGHTH PAGE.
The Semi-Centennial Exposition.
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.
ELEVENTH PAGE.
Sold an Estate for a Song.
Preparing for a Masonic 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 Insrleslde.
Schism In a Mission Army.
FIFTEENTH PAGE.
Births, Marriages and Deaths.
SIXTEENTH PAGE.
Summary of the Ferry Scandal.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
war, in the eyes of the civilized world,
would not be justified, for two rea
sons.
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
ferences 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 loner ago. has
not been permitted to leak in detail from
the Cabinet.
One of the conferences at the White
House was between the President, Jud^e
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
instance, 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 in 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 drift
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