Affairs in Spain are assuming a very grave aspect.
The people are so enraged at the continued demands of the Government for
soldiers and money that riots are breaking out all over the country.
The most serious of the outbreaks has occurred at Barcelona.
We told you some time ago that quantities of arms were stored in
Barcelona for the use of the Carlists, and that in the event of a
Carlist rising, Barcelona would be the headquarters of the revolution.
During the past week the riots in that city have assumed such a serious
character that the Government troops have been ordered out to quell
them.
These riots are attributed to Carlist influences, because the Carlists
have long been in a very restless frame of mind, and waiting eagerly for
Don Carlos to come forward and call them to arms.
The mass of the people in the northern provinces are strongly in his
favor, and believe that if he were placed on the throne peace and
prosperity would be restored to Spain.
The attitude of the Carlist party is now considered so threatening that
the prime minister, Señor Canovas, is reported to have said that the
most serious of the many troubles which Spain is now called upon to face
is the probability of a Carlist rising.
In the mean while Don Carlos, the leader of the party, remains quietly
in his house in Lucerne, Switzerland, and appears to be making no effort
to secure the throne of Spain.
[Illustration: DON CARLOS.]
The representative of a Swiss newspaper asked him his opinion of the
Spanish situation.
He replied that he considered it very grave. Speaking of the Cuban war,
he said that it had been frightfully mismanaged, not so much by Weyler
as by Gen. Martinez Campos, who was the first general sent out by Spain
to conquer the insurgents.
In the opinion of Don Carlos, General Weyler is the right man for Cuba.
He refuses to believe that he has done all the cruel things he is
accused of, but says that his sternness and severity were necessary for
the occasion, and that Spain should be very grateful to have found such
a leader at such a time.
When asked about the chances of a Carlist rising, he said that the
people were urging him to take up arms and come to the rescue of his
country. He hesitated to do so because he felt that it would be a cruel
thing for him to plunge his beloved country into the horrors of a civil
war at a moment when she was already beset with enemies.
He declared that it cost him a great effort to remain deaf to the call
of his people, but that if matters did not improve, he should feel it
his duty to come forward and save his country.
In his opinion the United States is only interfering in Cuban affairs
because she wants to annex Cuba. Were he on the throne of Spain he says
he would grant such a liberal form of government to the Cubans that they
would feel it a privilege to remain under the rule of Spain.
The opportunities for Don Carlos to regain the throne of Spain were
never so favorable as at this moment, and, in spite of his statement, it
is quite probable that he will obey the wishes of his friends, and do
his best to secure it.
* * * * *
The evidence in the Ruiz case has been laid before our Government.
After careful consideration the State Department has decided that Spain
is in the wrong.
General Woodford, the new minister to Spain, has therefore been
instructed to present a claim to the Spanish government for $75,000
damages to be paid to Mrs. Ruiz. Our minister is also instructed to say
that his Government has concluded that, under the treaties existing
between America and Spain, all the proceedings against Dr. Ruiz were
illegal, and that Spain is absolutely responsible for his death. Under
these circumstances Spain must pay this sum of money to the unfortunate
widow.
General Woodford is to add that while the United States would be
justified in demanding a much larger indemnity for Mrs. Ruiz, the
friendly feeling that our Government has for Spain has induced us to
make the sum as moderate as possible.
An endeavor was made on the part of Spain to compromise the matter with
Mrs. Ruiz, but she refused to treat with the Spanish agents, saying that
she preferred to leave her claim in the hands of the United States
Government.
Congress has also taken action in the _Competitor_ case.
The _Competitor_ was an American schooner which sailed for Florida in
April, 1896.
According to the story told by the captain of the vessel, he was no
sooner out of sight of land than the passengers took possession of the
ship, and forced him to change his course and carry them to Cuba.
Their luggage consisted of supplies and ammunition intended for the
insurgents, and thus, against his will, the captain was forced to
undertake a filibustering expedition.
The _Competitor_ was sighted by the Spaniards, and captured by them, but
all but five of the men on board escaped.
Three of these men were Americans who had sailed the ship.
The prisoners were taken ashore and tried by court-martial. They were
accused of piracy. They pleaded that they had not undertaken the voyage
to Cuba of their own free will, but had been forced to do so by the
passengers. They insisted that they were innocent of any intention to
wrong Spain.
In spite of this they were sentenced to death. They declared themselves
to be American citizens, and their sentence was suspended until the
truth about their nationality could be learned.
It was found that they were really Americans, and so the Government
immediately sent a protest to Spain, and the three men were sent to
prison until an answer could be received.
After a long time word came from Madrid that the men were to be granted
a new trial. Ten months have gone by since the new trial was ordered,
and still these prisoners have not had justice done them. They have been
kept in close confinement in the Cabanas prison, and have been punished
as much as if they had been really guilty, but their trial has been put
off for one reason or another until it now appears as if the authorities
did not mean to give them an opportunity of securing their freedom.
The schooner has also been held all this time by Spain, and her owners
are anxious to have her returned that they may have the use of her
services once more.
After waiting patiently for nearly a year, Congress has at last taken a
hand in the matter.
A joint resolution has been passed, empowering the President to take
such steps as he thinks fit to secure the release of the prisoners, and
to have the boat restored to her owners.
The resolution also gives the President authority to employ such means
and use such power as he may think necessary to accomplish this purpose.
The Spaniards are angry at the action we have taken in both the Ruiz and
_Competitor_ cases, but their especial anger is vented on our consuls in
Cuba.
General Lee has been informed that if the Spaniards were revengeful
instead of noble, he would not long be allowed to remain at his post and
foment trouble between Spain and America.
The consul in Matanzas has been forced to fortify the Consulate in
consequence of the threats which have been made against the Americans
there. He has done this to afford a safe shelter for the Americans in
Matanzas in case trouble should break out.
While the authorities in Cuba are feeling angry with us on account of
the Ruiz and _Competitor_ cases, the Government in Spain has a fresh
cause of annoyance against us.
This has arisen through a despatch sent by the Spanish minister in
Washington.
Señor Dupuy de Lome writes his Government that he has received full
information in regard to the instructions that have been given to
General Woodford.
He says that the minister has been instructed by the Secretary of State
to tell Spain that the United States thinks the war in Cuba has lasted
long enough, and that the Americans cannot stand quietly by and allow
the struggle to go on as it has much longer. Our minister is to inform
Spain that if the war is not soon brought to a close the United States
will interfere, and that, under any circumstances, warfare, as carried
on by General Weyler, must be stopped instantly, as the United States
will not permit it to continue.
The Spaniards are highly incensed at this, and are feeling very
unfriendly toward General Woodford.
If this statement is really true, it is a pity that it should have been
made public, because it has been definitely stated that the President
will not allow any unfriendly act toward Spain until it is absolutely
sure that General Woodford is unable to make a peaceful settlement.
Our minister leaves for Spain very shortly. At first it seemed as though
there would be a long delay before he could be officially received by
the Queen Regent, because the Court had left Madrid and gone to San
Sebastian for the summer.
It seems that the Spanish court observes very little ceremony during the
summer season, and as the reception of an ambassador is a very important
and ceremonious affair, the Queen Regent decided to put it off until the
return to Madrid.
This delay was very annoying to us. The Cuban questions are too pressing
to be allowed to wait until the autumn, and no business could be
transacted with the Spanish Government until we had a property
recognized representative there.
Happily for us, Japan has helped us out of the difficulty.
The Mikado has sent a special mission to the Spanish court to present
the young King Alphonso with his sacred order of the Chrysanthemum.
It would not be at all polite to keep the Japanese ambassadors waiting
all summer to make their presentation, and so there is to be a great
court function to receive the messengers of the Mikado, and General
Woodford will be recognized at the same time.
* * * * *
The condition of the Spanish troops is reported to grow worse every day.
It is said that their uniforms are ragged and torn, and they look more
like tramps than the representatives of a European army.
They are said to go through the streets of Havana begging coppers from
the passers-by, and asking bread from door to door.
It is said that numbers of loyal Spanish merchants are leaving the
island, because they are forced to supply the soldiers with food without
receiving any payment in return. They prefer to leave Cuba rather than
be ruined.
In the mean while Havana has been thrown into a panic by the report that
General Gomez is marching on the city. The truth of the rumor could not
be ascertained, but the fear was strengthened by the sudden return of
General Weyler, who had gone off on one of his famous pacifying
expeditions.
No sooner had Weyler returned than he began to make extraordinary
preparations to defend the city, and so it is generally believed in
Havana that the report is true.
It is known positively that the Cubans are very near the city, and that
Gomez has issued orders to all the insurgent leaders to press the war
forward with unceasing activity.
* * * * *
It seems that the Sultan has really been brought to terms.
The ambassadors, if you remember, gave him a stern refusal to treat with
any one but Tewfik Pasha, and repeated their demand for a written
acceptance of the frontier.
After this meeting with Tewfik the diplomats held a conference which
resulted in the preparation of a note to their governments in which they
gave it as their opinion that the Sultan could never be brought to terms
unless some decided action was taken.
The Sultan heard of this, and became alarmed.
He therefore sent one of his ministers, Yussuf Bey, to the ambassadors,
urging them to do nothing hastily, but assuring them that if they would
only have patience for a few days, everything could be satisfactorily
arranged.
But the ambassadors had had enough of delay, and they dismissed Yussuf
Bey, telling him politely that they could not possibly wait any longer.
The Sultan became still more uneasy, but he was anxious to put the
matter off a little longer, until he could have a final understanding
with Germany.
It seems that the Emperor William's reply to his note gave the Sultan
some hope that he was still inclined to side with him, in case of
trouble.
While he was still looking about for a good excuse, he received a
message from the German Kaiser, which put a sudden end to all his hopes
of an alliance.
The German ambassador arrived at the palace of the Sultan with the
information that the Kaiser, his master, had just telegraphed him to say
to the Sultan from him that he must immediately obey the wishes of the
Powers.
Following closely on this unwelcome visit came a message from the Czar
of Russia, telling the Sultan that unless he immediately withdrew his
soldiers from Thessaly, the Russian troops would cross the Turkish
border.
Thus driven into a corner, the Sultan saw that the only thing left for
him to do was to yield.
He therefore sent a message to the representatives of the Powers, that
he had at last been able to induce the Grand Vizier to consent to
withdraw from Turkey, and as this had been the only stumbling-block in
the pathway of peace, he had issued an order to the Porte (the Turkish
Government) authorizing them to accept the frontier as laid out by the
Powers.
It would seem that this action on the part of Turkey had removed all
obstacles, and that there would now be nothing to prevent the peace
negotiations from being carried through. Nobody, however, believes that
the trouble is over. It is thought that Turkey will make every possible
delay in arranging to leave Thessaly, and also in accepting the new plan
of government for Crete.
The Turkish troops have not as yet been withdrawn from Crete, and while
the Christian inhabitants are settling down, and becoming reconciled to
the new plan of government, their hatred of the Turks is in no degree
lessened.
Conflicts between the Turks and the Christians are of daily occurrence.
The allied fleets have had to make a demand on Turkey that the soldiers
shall give up their arms, as the rioting is so incessant.
* * * * *
The British House of Commons will not allow the Transvaal scandal to
die out as quietly as the Government hoped.
We told you about the two reports that had been sent in; well, the
member of Parliament who gave the second report has offered a resolution
that Mr. Cecil Rhodes be removed from his position in the South African
Company.
Further than this, it has been decided that a complete change shall be
made in the directors of this too powerful company, which has already
been able to plunge the British Government into so much trouble.
Complaints have been made that the company under its president, Mr.
Cecil Rhodes, has abused the privileges thus given by the Government. In
addition to the affair in the Transvaal, the company has treated the
natives of Mashonaland with great severity, taking their cattle away
from them, and forcing them to live in a condition bordering on slavery.
It has therefore been decided to modify the terms of the charter to such
a degree that the South African Company can only manage the commercial
affairs of their territory, all matters relating to its foreign policy
being henceforth in the hands of the British Government.
The House of Commons has been forced to agree to an open discussion of
the Transvaal Raid, when the matter of punishing Mr. Rhodes is to be
decided upon. Mr. Hawkesly, the lawyer who holds the missing cablegrams,
is also to be summoned before Parliament, and forced to produce them.
* * * * *
The last steamer from Japan brought a renewed protest from the
Government against the annexation of Hawaii.
Japan insists that Hawaii must remain an independent country. She says
that as soon as the Panama or Nicaragua canals are opened the importance
of the Sandwich Islands will be greatly increased, and that it is
necessary to the welfare of Japan that her independence be preserved.
The Japanese minister is reported to have declared that "annexation must
not be recognized. Japan must oppose it to the utmost."
In spite of this the Senate is going right ahead with the business of
the treaty.
In the mean while the Secretary of the Navy is making all the ships at
his command ready for service, so that we shall not be altogether
unprepared to defend ourselves if occasion arises.
* * * * *
There is not very much to tell in regard to the strike. No settlement
has been reached, and there is not much likelihood that the miners and
masters will come to any understanding at present.
We told you that some of the miners had stood out against the offer of
better wages, and refused to go to work until the condition of their
fellows throughout the country had been improved.
All the miners have not been as brave and loyal as these men.
In some parts of Western Virginia, such excellent wages have been
offered to the men, that they have weakened and gone back to work in
spite of the fact that the labor agitators have been constantly urging
them to remain firm.
They have been telling the men that they will secure great benefits if
they will only hold together.
At one time there was some hope that the men might submit the whole
matter to arbitration, but this seems doubtful.
* * * * *
Another report about the use of the X rays in the French Custom-House
has reached us.
This time the rays were applied to thirty packages which had arrived by
parcels-post. It took but fifteen minutes to examine the whole of these
packets, and their contents were discovered without the necessity of
breaking a seal or untying a string.
The amusing part of the story is that the thirty persons to whom the
parcels were addressed had been asked by the officers if there was
anything dutiable in them, and all had replied in the negative.
The confusion and trouble were therefore great when forbidden articles
were found in twenty-seven out of the thirty packets.
The French officials are very strict about such matters, and enforce
heavy fines for attempting to bring things into their country without
paying duty on them.
The senders had had no idea that the X rays would be used on the
packages, and had arranged them so that on opening they would appear to
contain nothing dutiable.
One basket was labelled fruit. Had it been opened in the ordinary way
the officers would have found nothing but apricots and plums, unless
they went to the trouble of emptying the whole basket out--a thing that
is seldom done. When the X rays got to work on this packet a pair of
patent-leather shoes was revealed, hidden away amongst the fruit.