Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 78, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1898 — ANXIOUS FOR PEACE. [ARTICLE]

ANXIOUS FOR PEACE.

Belief Prevails That Spain Is Heartily Tired of the War. SOME EVIDENCES OF THIS FEELING. No Direct Overtures, However, Have Been Made—The Powers Loth to Assist in Extricating Her from Her Dilemma. Washington, June 6. —The belief is growing in the best informed government circles that Spain is sincerely anxious to make peace, and that even now she is seeking a favorable opportunity to make overtures in that direction. Numerous evidences of this have come to the attention of the authorities here, but up to this time no actual move has been made toward ascertaining on what basis the United States would consider peace. It is said thatdhe first step would be toward having some disinterested power make inquiry of this government as to what terms would be’ accepted, after which the terms being stated, it would be for Spain to form a commission,and make a formal tender of peace. The authorities here feel that Spain is feeling her way toward a movement of this kind. Signs of the Times. One evidence of it is the utterance of the Spanish ambassador at London urging that a peace movement is opportune at this time. It is thought to be highly improbable that a Spanish official of his rank would make’a statement o-f this kind unless it voiced the view entertained by’ the authorities at Madrid. Another evidence is the sending of Senor Castillo to Paris, his principal mission being to enlist sympathy there

and to encourage a movement towards securing peace on a basis honorable to Spain. With this comes the report of the serious embarrassment of the Bank of Spain,on which the government relies for funds to carry’ on the war. The desperate condition of the Spanish forces at Manila, Santiago and Havana are looked upon as added reasons why Spain should be solicitous*at this time for peace. But while Spain is thought to be desirous to secure peace, she appears to be unable to secure the services of a disinterested power to take the initiative in a pence movement. This was the view expressed by a leading member of the diplomatic corps. He said that much surprise ned been caused at foreign capitals by the resentment in the United States against the kindly representations of the great powers, mad® to President McKinley some weeks ago, which had been treated by the American press and by public opinion throughout this country as an intrusion on the part of the great powers. For that reason the efforts since made by Spain to induce the European powers to intervene had met with flat failure because none of the powers wish to arouse the enmity of the United States. For the same reason, this diplomatic official pointed out, the European powers were loth to befriend Spain at the present time even to the extent of making inquiry as to what basis of peace would be acceptable to the United States. No one power would undertake such inquiries, he said, as it would subject that power to the possibility of being snubbed. He thought such a snub quite likely in view of the manner in which tbe kindly representation of the powers had been received some weeks ago. And, while no power was willing to act alone, neither could the powers' be brought together for united action along that line. > Exceeded Their Quotas. Washington, June 6.—ln. an order issued at the war department the official announcement is made that the following named states and territories received under the president's first call for troops an apportionment in excess of their combined quotas under the firstj and second callts viz., Delaware, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont? Wyoming, District of Columbia, Arizona, New Mexico. Oklahoma and the Indian territory These, therefore, will not be included

in the apportionment of troops under the second call for 75,000 men. Will Send S.OOO .Men to Manila. San Francisco, June 6.—lt is announced that five instead of three transports will compose the next expedition to Manila, and that 5,000 instead of 2,500 troops will be sent. Also that the vessels will be ready' for embarkation by the end of next week. Said to Have Landed Troops. Cape Haytien, June 6. —The investment of Santiago by the American troops has begun. The latest dispatches from the sqrely-beset capital of eastern Cuba tell of the landing of 5,000 soldiers of the United States army at Punta Cabrera, six miles to the westward of Santiago Harbor, and the massing of Gen. Linares’ army to oppose them. The Americans have united with Gen. Calixto Garcia’s 3,000 Cuban patriots, as arranged for by Lieut. Rowan and other American scouts. The normal force of the Spaniards in the city of Santiago de Cuba is 25,000 men. Of these only 9,000 are regulars. Five thousand are volunteers and the rest are the Spaniards of the city given arms and pressed into service.