THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2310, 9 June 1898, Page 55

THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.

(Fjsom Our Own C©rrkspoNdent.) Xondon, April 22. .War was vutuallydeelared yesterday between Spain and America, .and even at thin early •stage some remarkable features have .developed themselves. "When ithe American Congress and . Senate agreed, upon an ultimatum, and the President signed and despatched it, giving 43p»in until noon to-day for reply, it wab fally expected that Ahe reply would-eome in due course as a flat ntgatire, and that the United States then would in formal and dignified strain declare war is an elaborate manifesto Nothing of the sort. When the Spasish Government received intimation of the action of Congress they declared war instantly, packed -off the American Ambassador with his passports at 8. moment's notice, and gave instructions to the Spanish Ambassador at -Washington to take Tiis immediate departure, which he accordingly did with immense dignity, whereas fha American Minister, General Woodford, lost ail chance of the impressively dignified exit, which the Yankee heart so deafly loves, *ked had to leave under the somewhat humiHt&ticg conditions of -being practically turned out '"neck and crop." This first reverre, though noereJy of diplomacy, hkß inteus&iy irritated the American people, and tends to exacerbate the bitterness with which .this iithappy struggle is being encered upon. Another curious thing is that reilhe? side has the least idea s.s "to fha strength or plans , of the other side. The great dread in America ; is that the Spaniard? may snflelenly pounce on gotne of the American seaside towus -or ports, possibly even on New Yoxk itself,^ and may either boajbicd them or hold them to excessive ransom. New York is believed to have -been rendered alccost impregnable by means of mines, to? , bat everything has been done hurriedly, and' the Spaniard" are known to' possess some very formidable., engines of 'destruction. Indeed, the Spanish Ambassador Js sau? to .have declared to some friends before he made U«s ! striking exifc that Spain would deal a blow at \ America that the Americans little wotted, and wonld virtually end the war Rt a single stroka by boi»g able to demand a gigantic indemnity — a sum «>f 1000 million do.'lars was named as the probable amount — acder penalty of such destruoti«e normrqurncas as even the most violent of the Yankee jingoes could not contemplate j with equanimity. That is just the one. thing which the Americans are afraid of. They do not doubt their *ibi!ty to overcome Spain in tha long run ; but the more thoughtful of them do I see that with the terrible modern inventions , available they ma? be struck virtually helpless bafors they have lime to bring their forces to i bear ; just as England would be, for example, J by the capture of London by a foreign foe. So j there are grave misgivings *7hich the evenb alone can set at rest, if it do -not convert them into dread and ghastly certainties. There can be no doubt at all that if Spain were really resolved to resist at the cost of war, she committed a serious blunder, if nob an irremediable one, in not sfcrikicg a blow r.orae weeks back, when America, although aggressive in the highest degree as to tonn, was utterly unprepared to fight, either cfliensively or defensively. Spain then indsed might, by a skilful and vigorous onslaught, have ended the war by a -single trenchant blow. Bat strangely enough — this is another of the extraordinary features of this extraordinary affair— Spain waa deterred by a belief in the power of the Pope. A firm conviction prevailed that America would submit meekly to the intervention of his Holineas, and would abide implicitly by any judgment he might pronounce from the chair of St. .Peter. No delusion could have been more hopeless ; no infatuation more fatuous. Never was there the faintest chance of any European intervention being accepted. Indeed, any euch attempt would have b?en resented a I' entrance by the enraged Americans. Yet the 'Spaniards clung so fanatically to this illusion as fco the Popb's power and .iufiuence that they calmly sat still while America was preparing with feverish haste for a struggle to the death. Nor was even this tbe full measure of Spanish infatuation. Will .it be believed that not only was America allowed all this time for her preparation, but actually, Spain, in her absolute reliance on Fepal protection, neglected the most vital of all preparations on her own account — the laying in of adequate stores of coals and provisions p Yet I learn, on what seems to be unquestionable authority, that such is -the astounding fact, and th«.t the effect will be to compel an almost immediate collapse on the part of Spain 'unless she can first paralyse her opponent with a "knock-out" blow. ISnch fatuity is almost incredible, yefc I am assured that it is the fact. Another resource on which Spain relied with almost equal folly and futility was intervention or intercession on the part of the European Powers. But hers ,Great Britain stepped in and cauged it to bs clearly understood — although without putting it with the brutal- frankness of American despatches — that if any combination of European Powers attempted to coerce the United States on the question the full force of England would be thrown in on the American side, and the entire strength of the British Navy brought to bear againat any Power or Powers who thus intervened. This i» fully 'recognised alike in America and in Europe. The Americans are enthusiastically grateful for this weighty act of friendship, and somo of the Europeans are grumbling as loudly as they dare — France and Austria especially, whose sympathies naturally go with Spain. But England has Germany and Russia with her in this matter, and the result is that any malcontent Powers tausb perforce remain inactive. They do so, although not without much reviling of " Perfide Albion." Spain, moreover, committed the further in- . convertable negligence of never ascertaining 'W&e&h.ec Eagl&nd intended to reooxni&e aoa) as '

contraband of war, and now it is understood that tihis view will be taken Spain is at once in drspair as to her supplies of fuel, and incensed at what sha deems an unfriendly coursa on England's part. Hints have been thrown out thst n-i Spain is not pledged to the Df-cluration of Paris she may go in for privateering, with the effect of seriously hampering British commerce. But a counter-hint was piompfcly given that Bnglnod's autwer would be to exercise a very " benevolent neutrality " toward American cruisers while any encroachment on British rights would be instantly followed by crushing reprisals.

i So Sp?in is in peril of -beiug in evil casa. It ia known that strenuous representations wera made \to the Government by several naval officers, who urged the overwelming import- ■ ance of securing stores of coa!s and provisions before it wss too late. Bat the Government persisted in bslieviog that the Pope and the Powers would see them scathless, and so the chance passed by. Should the result ba wbat is feared by the fiiends of Spain to bs inevitable, her collapse for lack of coal, ' then two coi. sequences vf ill almosb certainly I ensue. The pi e«eafc Liberal Ministry, through ! whose ufaluated negligence the catastrophs would have bsen brought about, would eurely be swept from office by a storm of popular indignation. And it is hardly conceivable ; that even the dynasty could sarvive such a blow. The Qasen, guarding the throne of her yeUDg son, is a d : gnified end noble figure before -the eyes of the world ; but the public fury at such a neg!e3b of duty, evan though no blame could possibly sltseh to the Queeu herself, would almost of a certainty wreck tbe Grown as well as its responsible Advisers. At present the painful -secret" is kcown only to a few in Spain, but they regard ths situation with despondent forebodings, amounting almost to utter despair.

It muct be confessed that ranch of tbe sympathy which was felt for tha mother thus devotedly, pathetically, and majestically defending her son and his throne has been alienated by the inquiry, -which is admittedly but too pertinent : " When has this noble and pathetic woman ever raised her voice or uttered a Hj-Uable on liehslt of those unhappy .subjects of her son who were being done to death either swifsSy by the sword or cannon or rifle, or liogeringly by torturo or starvation at the bands of her Ministers aud their subordinates ? Where, it ts asked, was her womanly sympathy and pity and -pathos in tbe casa of those suffering thousands ? " And, truth to tell, no satisfactory reply can be given.