The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 2, No. 11, March 17, 1898 | Page 6

Cuba with supplies for these unfortunate
people.

The United States Government has deemed the matter important
enough to despatch two gunboats, the Montgomery and Nashville, with
provisions to Matanzas and Sagua la Grande, Cuba.
The supplies have been sent to Key West, to be forwarded from there in
the vessels selected.
Spain, through her representative at Washington, Señor du Bosc,
objected to the use of war-vessels for this purpose, and it was at first
decided to send the supplies in the despatch-boat Fern, in many
respects better fitted for such a purpose. Finally, however, orders were
sent to Key West to carry out the original plan.
That Spain objects to the visits of our war-ships to these Cuban ports
may lead to further complications, for with equal reason she can
exclude our ships from Havana harbor, and this would prevent us from
protecting our own citizens who are in Havana.
The fact that relief expeditions are sent by us is in itself an
acknowledgment on our part that we either do not consider Spain able
to care for these poor people, or that we think that she wilfully refuses
to do so. Spain could settle the question at once by properly providing
for them. This, however, she has not attempted to do.
* * * * *
March 7th a bill was introduced by Chairman Cannon, of the
Appropriations Committee, entitled, "Making Appropriations for the
National Defence."
It was as follows: "That there is hereby appropriated out of any money
in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated for the national defence, and
for each and every purpose connected therewith, to be expended at the
discretion of the President, and to remain available until June 30, 1899,
fifty million dollars."
This bill, it was reported, was the outcome of a conference held at the
White House. The situation was considered so serious that it was

necessary that an immense appropriation should be made for national
defence.
* * * * *
Talk of the United States buying Cuba has revived during the last week.
The Spaniards seem to think better of this than they did some months
ago, and it is reported that one paper in Madrid has come out in favor
of selling the island to this country.
It is a question whether it would be wise for this country to buy Cuba.
It would involve the expenditure of $300,000,000 or $400,000,000; and,
again, the people who live on the island might not be a desirable
addition to the voting population of the United States. Spain has
misunderstood this country in regard to the purpose of our proposed
intervention in Cuba. She believes that we would intervene in order to
obtain possession of the island. The truth is, that the only reason for our
stopping the war would be for the sake of mercy, for the war that is
going on in Cuba is uncivilized and horrible.
About twenty-five hundred men have been sent to Cuba recently as
reinforcements to the Spanish army, and Spain is putting forth the
greatest efforts to stop the revolution before the rainy season sets in.
Five torpedo-boats are to be towed from Madrid to Havana. It will be
unfortunate for Spain if she has no better luck towing these boats than
she had with her immense dry-dock, which we told you about several
weeks ago.
* * * * *
The Vizcaya, which left New York on February 25th, arrived in Havana
safely. The Almirante Oquendo, a sister ship of the Vizcaya, has also
reached Havana.
The Oquendo is a very powerful vessel, 340 feet long, 65 feet wide,
and can steam 20 knots an hour. She is said to have cost $3,000,000.
She left the Canary Islands on February 15th, the day the Maine blew
up.

The men on board, of course, had not heard of the catastrophe, and
when they saw the wreck they could not imagine what it meant. With
these vessels and the Alphonso XII. in Havana harbor, it is said the war
fever has attacked the city, and the Spaniards there are anxious to fight
the United States.
* * * * *
Conflicting reports have reached us as to whether Spain has bought
war-ships in England or not during the last week. It is, however,
reported on good authority that Spain has negotiated a large loan in
London; the amount is not known. Several vessels have been in course
of construction for Brazil and Chile, and now that they are almost
completed, it is said that the Spanish Government, by agreeing to pay
immense sums, is attempting to secure them. It does not seem likely
that Chile would give up a battle-ship just now, as the relations
between that country and the Argentine Republic are very strained.
There is no doubt, however,