The San Francisco call. [volume], March 27, 1898, Page 1, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME LXXXIII.— NO. 117.
DRAWN NEARER THE POINT
WHERE WAR WILL COME
For this port the Spanish torpedo fleet, now en route from the Canaries, is now heading. The view is from the land side and shows a
Spanish warship of the Viscaya type in the foreground, with the Morro and lighthouse at the entrance of the harbor on the
left. San Juan stands on an island which runs out from the main land toward the northeast, inclosing a body of water some
twelve miles long by eight wide, with fine anchorage for large vessels along the town front.
The old part of the town is surrounded by a wall, with several forts, built in 1630-71, on which are still mounted many of
the old cannon used to repel the English and Dutch buccaneers and pirates/
THE PRESIDENT TALKS
FREELY OF HIS PLANS
WITH REGARD TO CUBA
Will Send the Maine Report to Congress on Mon
day, Following It With a Message on Tuesday
or Wednesday Dealing With Cuba.
Call Office, Riggs House.
Washington, March 26.
President McKinley' talked freely
with his Congressional visitors to-day,
both in regard to his plans for the fu
ture and his appreciation of the situation
with reference to Cuba. His pro
gramme as thus outlined is as follows:
To send the report of the Maine
court of inquiry to Congress on Mon
day without recommendation and with
out explanation on his part further than
to say that he has acquainted Spain
with the findings of the court
To follow this Tuesday or Wednes
day with a message dealing with the
condition of the non-combatants in
Cuba and asking for an appropriation of
$500,000 for their immediate relief.
To present anew this condition to
Spain, asking that country to make pro
vision for the care of her o%vn help
less people and to come to some terms
with the Cubans which will be satisfac
tory to them and put an end to the war.
This failing, to forcibly intervene on
humanitarian grounds.
The President indicated to his callers
an abiding faith that peace may be pre
served and a determination on his part
to accomplish that end if it may be
done with honor to our own country
and without disregarding the demands
of humanity. He frankly and re
peatedly avowed to-day his desire to
prevent a conflict, while at the same
time indicating a firm purpose to secure
relief for the starving reconcentrados.
Indeed, the latter purpose appeared to
be the topic uppermost in the Presi
dent's mind. He dwelt upon the fact
that the recognition of belligerent
rights or of independence would not be
of any material service to these unfor- j
tunates. He admitted that such action
might be of assistance to the men at
arms, the insurgent army, but they, he
said, have shown a capacity to take
care of themselves and do not stand in
pressine need of our kind offices.
VIEW OF THE HARBOR OF SAN JUAN, PORTO RICO.
S EUROPE UPHOLDS SPAIN.
s? : . . — r '. 8?
i 88 -.•■•:. «
82 PARIS, March 26.— Debats, dis- S2
;?2 cussing Cuba and ' the* New York 82
11 Herald's editorial claiming that 188
182 America would have the moral . 82
jB3 ■ support of Europe, says the Her- 88
88 aid is mistaken- 83
82 "The : United States," It says, AB3
88 "will not have the moral support 82
?• nor the sympathies of Europe, "or '■ 78S
83 at least that part which takes 82
'82 account of the necessity of re- 82
•• specting certain international 88
It. principles. It Is not permissible 88
!82 for any nation, on the pretext 83
183 that disorder prevails in part of 82
iB2 a neighbor's territory, to inter- 82
iBB vene there by force in order to 82
82 establish an order of things 82
82 which best corresponds to its 82
1821 82 own- aspirations. Legitimate 82
82 sovereignty has its rights, and 82
8* they must be respected." v 88
88 88
82 82 82 88 88 88 88 SS 82 88 82 88 82 82 88 "88 88 88
The President believes Spain will in
terpose no obstacle to our sending suc
cor to her indigent people, and he will
ask Congress to act promptly, that the
aid to be given may not arrive too late
to relieve the pressing necessities. This
done, the President is hopeful that Con
gress will remain quiet while the ex
ecutive branch of the Government con
tinues its efforts to secure a peaceful
settlement of the difficulty. He thinks
it not too late to do this, and he made
the assertion to-day that Spain was will
ing to meet the United States half wav
in adjusting the entanglement without
coming to blows.
He referred only casualij to the sail
ing of Spain's torpedo fleet, leaving the
impression on the minds of his visitors
that he considered that so far in this
matter Spain is acting within the bounds
of her own rights just complaint
cannot yet be made by this country in
regard to this course.
He did not enter into details regard
The San Francisco Call
SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 1898-THIRTY-TWO PAGES.
ing the propositions he may make or
may have made to Spain, for undoubt
edly some are pending, but he left the
impression that he would be satisfied
with no settlement that would not give
the Cubans a very liberal form of gov
ernment. He admitted frankly that
autonomy had proved a failure, and ex
pressed the opinion thut it would be as
difficult to satisfy the Americans with
any settlement that might be made as
it would be to satisfy the Cubans them
selves. He reasserted the possibility of
securing an agreement on the part of
Spain to allow Cuba to conduct her
own affairs with absolute freedom, ex
cept that tne island should be required
to pay the mother country a specified
sum in the way of tribute every year
out of her revenues, seeming to think
that this would form a basis upon which
both Spain and the Cubans could agree
without sacrifice of too much pride on
either side.
Mr. McKinley reverted often in his
conversations to his desire to maintain
peace, and dwelt upon the fact that war
meant not only loss of life and property,
but that it also would injure our com
merce, disturb business conditions gen
erally, increase our public debt, add to
our pension roll and result in many ways
to our disadvantage and distress. He
made it clear, also, that whatever course
he might pursue in the future he would
not at present demand any indemnity at
the hands of Spain for the loss of the
Maine, preferring to leave that matter
to the adjustment of a more quiet
period. The President also spoke of
possible complications witu other na
tions, but did not manifest any uneasi
ness on this score.
Senators who have visited the Presi
dent have without exception, so far as
can be learned, assured him that the
Senate appreciates his efforts to pre
serve peace under proper conditions,
and have told him there is no danger of
precipitate action in that body. They
got the impression that if the worst
comes and it shall ibe absolutely deter
mined that no other course will avail,
the President will be found ready for
armed intervention.
On the score of politics he assures
them that he would rat.ier see the Re
publican party fail of future success
than to wage an unjust war- but that if
war must come, it must be war for
humanity, and that this fact must be
made so evident that he will have the en
tire nation behind him in a conflict at
arms.
Minister Woodford has been cabled
to notify the Spanish Government as to
the results found by the American court,
particularly that the explosion was ex-
Continued on Second Page.
NEWS OF THE DAY.
Weather forecast for San Fran
cisco: Fair on Sunday; light north
erly changing to fresh westerly
winds.
Maximum temperature for the past
twenty-four hours:
San Francisco 52 degreea
Portland 44 degTees
Los Angeles 58 degrees
San Diego 54 degrees
FIRST PAGE.
One Day Closer to War.
The President Talks Freely.
SECOND PAGE.
Work on Sunday at Mare Island.
War Talk In the House.
To Garrison Fort Point.
Painting Warships Dead Color.
The Two Atlantic Squadrons.
THIRD PAGE.
Poll of Congress on War.
Million Wanted for Cuban Relief.
European Opinion of the Situation.
France Would Have Peace.
Gall's Claim to an Estate.
FOURTH PAGE.
A Noted Duke 1 Dead.
Sealers Lost in the Ice.
San Rafael Rose Carnival.
. Both Want Nevtlls' Gold.
Tennis at the Citrus Colony.
Oxford Wins From Cambridge.
FIFTH PAGE.
Clancy's letter From Dublin.
SIXTH PAGE.
Editorial.
Redress or War.
The Semi-Centennial .
The Klondike Mail Service.
Mr. Reas Demur.
The Cattle Quarantine.
Official Privileges Abused.
"With Entire Frankness." by Henry
James.
SEVENTH PAGE.
Judge Slack Resigns.
After an Island of Gold.
More Science in Education.
A Salvationist Who Wouldn't Swear.
EIGHTH PAGE.
The Old Coloma Is SiJe.
Oang Rule Costly to San Jose.
Heavy Frosts Follow Rain.
Miners Drowned at Dutch Harbor.
San Bernardino Fears Sheepmen.
NINTH PAGK.
Harry Gillig as a Minstrel.
Private Contract System.
PRESIDENT STILL
LABORS TO KEEP THE
PEACE WITH SPAIN
Even His Own Close Friends Admit That
There Will Be War Within the
Next Fifteen Days.
It Has Been Resolved to Stop the Spanish Torpedo
Flotilla at Porto Rico, but in the Meantime
There Are Grave Fears of an
Attack Upon the Oregon.
NEW YORK, March 26.— The Herald's Washington correspond-!
ent telegraphs: It has been a day of distress, anxiety and unceasing, j
bewildering conjecture. The only thing that opinion seems to be :
united on is that we have, in the last twenty-four hours, drawn per
ceptibly nearer the breaking point with Spain.
War is on everybody's lips — war in a few days, according to the
alarmists, war or peace, according to the President's' close friends, in
the course of fifteen days. For in these trying times the faith of Wil
liam McKinley that war will be averted and the independence of
Cuba will be secured without a gun being fired has never wavered.
There is a deep feeling at the seats ,
of both governments. The feeling
h*re is intensifying every hour. Not |
a ray of peace light has corce from
the sky. The day opened with
gloomy forebodings of hostilities
hanging over everybody. It hung
over the crowds in the hotel corri
dors. It hung over the State, War
and Navy buildings. It hung around
the White House like a Potomac fog.
The Herald's special cable from
Madrid had portrayed a change in
the situation there. Dispatches from
Minister Woodford to the State De
partment had brought even more sin
ister news from Spain than any that
had been received yet. The utmost
caution was taken to guard the con
tents of the cables sent by the Min
ister to Spain, but it began to be
whispered abroad that the news was
of a character to cause the most in
tense anxiety. The cable, it is un
derstood, dealt with Spain's refusal
to further continue her consent to
the sending of relief from the United
States to the reconcentrados.
Well might such a decision on the
part of the Spanish Government
cause apprehension and unrest at the
peace headquarters in the White
House. Spain's refusal could mean
only one thing— our insistence that
relief should continue to go, and at
the point of the bayonet, if need be.
NEWS OF THE DAY.
TENTH PAGE.
. Baseball Season Opening.
» • Coursing at Two Parks.
. ... t ELEVENTH PAGE.
> The Masonic Festival.
> Tried to Blackmail Rudinoff.
> A New Bantam Weight.
»-, . . FOURTEENTH PAGE.
» Racing at Ingleside. - j
> Births, Marriages and- Deaths.
FIFTEENTH PAGE.
> The Day Among the Churches.
■■ News From Across the Bay. ;
,i' '--If.-: SIXTEENTH PAGE.
> Ferry Scandal Developments. '
» Thought He Was Robbed.
» Deaf,' Dumb and Blind Accounts. '
. . SEVENTEENTH PAGE.
Going to the New Turquoise Mines.
>-4 . i .. EIGHTEENTH PAGE.
Tomb of Isis Discovered In Egypt.
NINETEENTH PAGE.
. "Off to Sea" Signal on the Oregon.
,V : TWENTIETH PAGE.
> Latest Pathological \ Discovery.
Where Is Grace Stevenson? ;
TWENTY-FIRST PAGE.
v Story of the . "Alabama," by One of
v the Crew.,
> - Modjeska Tells How to Act.
. . .TWENTY-SECOND PAGE.
>; Story of a Lost Millionaire. ,
> Missionary Made a Mandarin.
» ; Balloon Made of Metal. :_•
> TWENTY-THIRD PAGE.
» The Rise of a' Political : Bobs. ■■
.. TWENTY-FOURTH PAGE.
„ Arthur Matthews' Exhibition.
> Books
> " TWENTY-FIFTH PAGE.
> The New Lightship and Its Crew.
> : TWENTY-SIXTH PAGE.
> Society. '"' '-■■' ' '■ •■ ' ; ::'-»::'
» TWENTY-SEVENTH PAGE.
> Fashions. ; : ' • ■'
, ; TWENTY-EIGHTH PAGE.
Schools,
> • Fraternal News. '
> Whist.
> .. TWENTY-NINTH PAGE.
> Theaters. . , :
> .■;■: ;; THIRTIETH PAGE. ' - *„
» ' The Commercial World. ; :': '/,'■
> c THIRTY-FIRST PAGE.
> .? Boys' end, Girls' Page. r • -
>' i THIRTY-SECOND; PAGE.
> News Along the Water : Front. ;,-•":
>'. : :- Monument for Lieutenant Burke.
> .Mines.-."-, . • ■■-'.. ;v;,
> , -: •■ ' '_.'■-. ' ' ' '**'■. : ■' '
President McKinley has made
many concessions in the interest of
peace, but this is one thing on which
he has a well defined policy, backed
by the almost overwhelming opinion
of Congress. On that he could not
back down, and Spain insisting on
maintaining the attitude outlined
from Madrid could only lead to one
thing, and that thing — war.
This was all the talk late in the
afternoon, and there was an infor
mal meeting of the Cabinet at the
White House, followed by a long
conference between the President.
Assistant Secretary of State Day
and Secretary of the Navy Long.
The attitude of Congress has filled
THE SPANISH TORPEDO FLEET
MUST STOP AT PORTO RICO.
BOSTON. Mass.. March 26.— A Washington special says: Orders
were issued tn-day to prevent the Spanish torpedo flotilla coming too
near this country. The Board of Strategy was in session for a long
time and the utmost caution was used to keen its doings secret,
yet it was learned from unquestionable authority that the United
States Government had made up its mind to take a determined stand
against the menace of the threatening approach of the fleet of the
Dons. It is not the intention of the department to send out an
American fleet to meet the Spanish torpedo boats in mid-ocean and
compel them to return or sink them, as the jineoes would have it do,
but to adopt the more pacific course of permitting the Spaniards to
reach Porto Rico, but drawing the dead line there.
To this effect orders were issued to Schley to-day. These orders
will be transmitted to Sampson by messenger instead of by any of
the conversational methods of Government transmission. The de
partment will not even trust these vitals order to the wires under
the practically perfect safeguard of the official cipher code, so im
portant is it that the details should not be known.
The members of the Bn-'d of Strategy, of course, refuse to di-
Vulge any of the details of the conference, but it was learned in the
highest authority that it had been decided to place a very formida
ble obstruction in the way of the Snanish flotilla's passage a single
mile this side of Porto Rico. When this is done, and the frowning
guns of American battleships guard the route to the "West, the
United States Government will officially notify Spain that it will not
permit the flotilla to proceed a sinerle mile nearer Havana or the
United States: that it has no objections to the presence of the flo
tilla at Porto Rico or elsewhere, provided it does not cross the line;
and, finally, that should this ultimatum be disregarded it will be
looked upon by the United States as a declaration of war and will
be acted upon accordingly.
the minds of the members of the ad
ministration with renewed appre
hension. The Herald's poll shows
that Congress is strongly in favor of
acting on the Cuban question. Out
of seventy-eight Senators inter
viewed, thirty-nine are willing to
wait on the President's policy and
follow it; twenty-six are in favor of
forcible intervention, and seven are
in favor of recognizing the independ
ence of Cuba. Out- of 290 members
of the House polled, ICO will wait for
the President to speak, eighty-eight
favor forcible intervention, seventy
eight want to see the independence
of Cuba, six favor the recognition of
belligerency, and fifteen are for
peaceful intervention. It is interest
ing to note that only one Senator and
two Representatives favor the an
nexation of Cuba, so that the charge
that the United States is grabbing
for territory is not likely to be made.
Notwithstanding the compliment
to the administration that this poll
shows, the President is contemplat
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
FEAR FOR
THE OREGON
jc 3
f NEW YORK, March 26.— Wash- :
*.j Ington special to the Herald says:
' Fearing an attempt on the part of *
* Spain to destroy the battle-ship '
Oregon and gunboat Marietta, [
" which have been ordered to the *
* North Atlantic coast to re-enforce '
" Captain S. W. Sampson's com- '
f mand, instructions will pc sent to '
T , the commanding officers directing '
.' them to adopt every precaution '
I against attack. v ;j^._ :,/, _ r:V; y[.\
The determination to ! ssue these
*;•: instructions is the- result- of an !
* official dispatch from the diplo- i
* matic representative of, this Gov- i
* ernment in Uruguay, announcing :
■'.- that the torpedo-boat Temerario of :
* the Spanish navy had hurriedly left :
* Montevideo, where she had been :
* . anchored for some time, and had :
* gone to sea. Her, destination was :
* unknown, but it was believed that :
* she might be under orders to lie in :
* wait for the Oregon and Marietta :
* and to cripple them, if possible, so :
* that they could- not reach Key :
* West. :
* :
ing a step with reference to the man
ner of sending the report of the
Maine Court of Inquiry to Congress
which may make congressional senti
ment shift. It is said the Presi
dent does not wish to send full tes
timony to Congress at the time the
report goes in. The excuse that will
be given is that the testimony being
a bulky typewritten volume, should
first be sent to the printer. The fact
seems to be that this excuse is being
found to prevent the testimony go
ing to Congress at this time for fear
its tenor will influence Senators and
Representatives into declaring war.
Much of this testimony will tend to
fix the blame on Spain, by implica
tion, whereas it is not, strictly speak
ing, testimony that would be admit
ter under the stiict rules of evidence.
The court was commanded to take
all the testimony that would tend to
fix responsibility, no matter how in
directly. This was done. Then the
court was commanded to use all ef
forts to cover all the points as coa