but adding the warning note that there might
come a time wlien intervention would be demanded
in the name of humanity, and that it behooved
Spain to end the struggle before this should be-
come necessary. This was hardly a statement of
party policy, but rather the expression of the sen-
timent of the whole country, and after the close
of the first year of the new administration it was
seen that its policy had been much along these
lines. In his note'of 23 Sept., 1897, Gen. Wood-
ford had assured the Spanish minister of foreign
affairs, the Duke of Tetuan, that all the United
States asked was that some lasting settlement
might be found which Spain couhi accept with
self-respect, and to this end the United States
offered its kindly offices, hoping that during the
coming month Spain might be able to formulate
some proposal under which this tender of good
offices might become effective, or else that she
might give satisfactory assurances that the insur-
rection would be promptly and finally put down.
A change in ministry took place in Spain, and
the liberals succeeded to power. The new foreign
minister, Seiior Gullon, replied to the American
note on 33 Oct., suggesting more stringent ap-
plication of the neutrality laws on the part of the
United States, and asserting that conditions in the
island would change for the better when the new
autonomous institutions could go into effect. This
measure of self-government was proclaimed by
Spain on 23 Nov., 1897. The insurgents rejected
it in advance ; the Spanish Cubans who upheld
Weyler's policy were equally vigorous in denounc-
ing it ; the remainder of the population was in-
clined to accept it, as it was in lieu of anything
better, although it fell far short of what they had
been led to hope for. It stipulated, among other
things, that no law might be enacted by the new
legislature without the approval of the governor-
general; Spain was to fix the amount to be paid
by Cuba for the maintenance of the rights of the
crown, nor could the Cuban chamber discuss the
estimates for the colonial budget tmtil this sum
had been voted first; furthermore, perpetual pref-
erential duties in favor of Spanish trade and manu-
factures were provided for. The formal inaugu-
ration of the system took place in the beginning
of January, 1898, but from the first it was evident
that there were irreconcilable differences between
the members of the ministry as well as between
their followers, although there was manifested a
certain well-wishing toward the new measure on
the part of the insurgent party, many of them re-
turning from the United States or coming from
the field of hostilities to submit themselves after
Marshal Blanco's proclamation of amnesty ; yet
early in January, 1898, the Spanish party broke
out in such serious demonstrations and rioting
against the autonomists and the Americans in
Cuba that Consul-General Lee was induced to ask
for the presence of an American man-of-war to
protect American property.
The tone of the press in the United States had been growing more serious. The failure of the au- tonomous constitution was evident, the military situation was growing worse, the loss of life on the part of helpless non-combatants caused by the reconcentration policy of Weyler was daily grow- ing more appalling; it was clear that the whole situation was Hearing a crisis. Seiior Canalejas, editor of a JIadrid paper, made a journey to Cuba at this time to see the actual position with his own eyes. On his way he stopped in the United States, called on his friend Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish minister at Washington, and then went on to Ha- vana. Soon after the departure of Canalejas, de Lome wrote him a private letter, in which he criti- cised severely the policy of the president in re- gard to the Cuban question, and characterized him as a vacillating and time-serving politician. The letter was secured by the Cuban revolutionists, who communicated it to the state department and published it in the newspapers. The publica- tion took place on 8 Feb. ; the next day the gov- ernment instructed Gen. Woodford to request the Sfianish ministry to recall Seiior de Lome, but the ambassador had anticipated this request and hail cabled his resignation, which was accepted before Gen. Woodford presented his note. On 14 Feb.. Seiior Polo y Bernabe was appointed to suc- ceed de Lome as minister to the h nited States. The excitement caused in the United States by this incident was still fresh when it was quickened into a deeper and graver feeling by the destruc- tion of the U. S. cruiser " Maine " in the harbor of Havana. After the riots of January, 1898, Con- sul-General Lee had asked for an American man- of-war to protect the interests of this country. The Spanish authorities were advised that the gov- ernment intended to resume friendly naval visits to Cuban ports; they replied, acknowledging the courtesy, and announcing their intention of send- ing Spanish vessels to the principal ports of the United States in return. The '• Maine " reached Havana on 25 Jan., and was anchored to a buoy assigned by the authorities of the harbor. She lay there for three weeks. Her officers re- ceived the usual formal courtesies from the Span- ish authorities ; Consul Lee tendered them a din- ner; there were the conflicts between the sailors of the "Maine" and the Spanish sailors usual in any port, which give zest and pleasure to the life of all sailors. The treatment of officers and crew by the Spanish authorities was perfectly proper outwardly, although no effusive cordiality was shown them. At forty minutes past nine o'clock of the evening of 1.5 Feb., while the greater part of the crew were asleep, a double explosion occurred forward, rending the ship in two and causing her to sink instantly. Out of a comple- ment of 360 men, 2 officers and 264 men were drowned or killed and 60 were taken out wounded. Capt. Sigsbee telegraphed a report of the occur- rence to Washington, and asked that public opin- ion be suspended until more was known. Marshal Blanco informed Madrid that the explosion was due to an accident caused by the bursting of a dynamo engine, or combustion in the coal-bunkers. Spain expressed regret at the catastrophe, and pro|X)sed a joint commission to investigate the cause of the explosion. This proposal was declined by Presi- dent McKinley, who appointed a naval board of inquiry to examine the problem independently. The conclusions of the court were that the explo- sion was not due to the officers or crew, but that it was caused by a submarine mine underneath the port side. The court found no evidence fixing the responsibility upon any person or persons. An investigation conducted independently by the Spanish government found that it was due to an accidental internal explosion.
War was now only a question of time. On 7 March two new regiments of artillery were authorized by congress, and $50,000,000 for national defence was placed at the disposal of the president. The speeches of Senator Proctor and of others who had visited Cuba and had seen the actual situation carried a weight that could not be controverted. The president asked for a bill providing a contingent increase of the army to 100,-
