Show OTftD f 11IE WAR IN CUBAI U A r1 I Prest McKinley Asks Congress to Authorize Dim to Do So if Necessary by Force mim I I ENE A 1 RICOGN111ON OF CUBA NOW Only Brief Reference to the Maine Affair as Showing the Inability of Spain to Give Protection 1 I JfHlllEll SPAIN NOR INSURGENTS ABLE ESTABLISH PEACE ptore th N6dty for Intrtlononollllo lithbill justify anti 1 Conii ct It lu d Ila n In I Tnoll fr Y earIlir Vagel I Cnhllt nd ltrb S hock Ili if J looosulty Cader Sp Ino Official OniciLast and luuh Injury it 01 I p 1 In th cltt Met 11 lit h 1 h1oI Ilrur It > o Lougerl IIM I h Arodfle rodnhudUI Ih Vlr Us Stopped the Liillrd 8t li llut Iuu Did to II nut 111111 Not Annex CoYII blutn eut of Clo Controvert Washington April ITh President today cent the following message tot the to-t Jongices of the United States Obedient lo that precept of the Con Inflation hlh commands the lrel dent to ghe from time to If lie the Congress Information of the state ot the Union and tu recommend to their cnn Iderollon ouch maur as he shall judge necessary and expedient II become come mv duty now 10 address your body with regard to the gravecondl lion that has arisen In the relation ol the United fares and Spain by reason of the nurture that for more than three years has raged In the neighboring Island of Cuba I do so because of the I Intimate connection of the Cuban question ques-tion mith the Hate of our own Union And the grave relation the course which Is I now Incumbent upon the nation na-tion to adopt must needs bear to the traditional policy of our government II It li I to accord with the precepts laid down t > > the founders of the Republic and religiously observed by succeeding administrations to the present day BUIBAUOUS AND UNCIVILIZED WARFARE The present revolution Is but the ruccesRor or other similar Insurrections uhlch have occurred In Cuba against dominion of Spain extending over a Period or nearly half a century each of ahlrh during Its progress has subjected sub-jected the United States to great dart And capne In nrnrc log Its neutrality laws caused enormous loss to the Amerlclln trade sod commerce c used irritation un nOne and dlturbance among our citizens and by the exercise ot cruel barbarous and uncivilized practices of warfare shocked the sensibilities and offended the humane sympathies of cur people Since the present revolution began In February IMS this country the fertile domaIn at our threhold has ben ravaged by fire and sword In the course ot a struggle unequalled In the history ot the Island und rarely par lId as to the number of the combatants com-batants and Its bitterness of the con tst by any revolution or modern tlmea where 1 dependent people striving striv-ing to be free have been opposed by the povur ot the sovereign state Our I people 1 hale behold a once prosperous community reduced to comparative want Its commerce virtually par slyxed Its exceptional productiveness diminished Its fields laid waste Its mills In ruins and Its people perishing Vns by tens of thousands from hunger und destitution IU1ILOIW itoflirsT CAUSED IN Till 1NITLD STAT > ANs hale found ourvelvets cOllslraln1 la the ubeane of tint strict neutral Ity vvhlth our laws 1 enjoin and which the law I Rations commands to police OUr On wiltell and watch our Own seaports in Ir vention or any unlawful act In I aid Of the t Cultarls Our trade has battered 1 the l capital i Invested by our citizens in Cuba has been largely I lost and the temper and br forlwaYTncJ or our people hale S so oorely tried o to II beffet a pelou a Unrest amung Our WAR citizens Ihlc h has t found Its epl oe fell I from time el JIM I In the national legislature so that Issues il urso holly 111cirn1 to our own bidy politic I lose a Itention and r1I r1 the Way Of that close devotion todmoUe allanmnt that beome a Irontntr ommonwalth whou tf I rmal all maxim has been the Avoidance foreign entanglements All this must needs wakn WatI < anti hs Indeed Aroused Of this govearnn Ills Inincist II concern ast well Olt during the I part my P de rrteralnrown181 P7 trI term A s my Own April lr 1S56 the evils from which or ban country offered through the Cu liar beumc so onerous that mr fr icu madc throu a ar Ithe ffort mediation to bring uvrl1mnt In any way that JIllIt Ihlt tend to all If Ill j ta honorable Adjustment I Contest t bete r e It StWn and her 01thIg colon Y on the basin of some Nf ache Me of i for Cuba unitMe o selfgoverntriput er I frixotfl spall It the I It Called ling through and sovereign the re Spanish government then I 14 Poner to 1rf elation any form of Inc or 1 Indeed ment uhlot any plan nit settle cant II did Of begin ulth lttr lt no suhnilAolon h mother Ou of I he Insurgents to hmt terms as country spalit I a their gl only on It 10 herself Illght see 9cantl T he or nbatelt T ahr continued ure i is Crds wall I 1 n 1 the Inur 1 It no N 89 diminished I WCYLU It a INIIUMAN IH1tN POLICY 2h by efforts the dispatch of Spain fresh are Increased levies t4 I I I Cuba nnd by the addition to the horron horroM of the strife The new and Inhuman I I Phase happily unprecedented in tho modern history of clvlllzid Christian people the policy of devastation and cOfcntrallon Inaugurated hy the cal to I A general a biudo of October 21 1U6 In the province of Pinnr del Hlo I was thence extended embrace all ot the island to which the power of th Spanish arm was able to reach by occupation or hy > military opelatlons Ihe liasantry Including all dwellings dwell-ings In I tho open agllcultuiul Interior were driven Into tho garrlon I owns or I Isolated places held by the troops The raising of provisions of all kinds won Interdicted Helds wire laid waste dwellings unroofed and filed mills I destroyed and In short everything that could desolate the land and render unfit for human habitation or support I port was Commanded I > one or the othI o the COIe qrtles III J executed by 1 the powers at their disposal Ily the time the prwn administration administra-tion took olllce a year ago recontentri tionso called had been efcclve over the better part t the four i entral nnd elen Movie es Honta Clar 1 la Rations Inan and Plnar d1 Ill The agricultural Porn lation to the IB tltnnted number ot 300000 fir more was herded within the towns or 1 their Lin I mediate vicinity deprived of the meanj of support rendered destitute of helter hel-ter left poorly cladand exposed to the most unsatisfactory conditions As the scarcity ot food Increased with the devastation of the depopulated areas ot production destitution and want became be-came mley And starvation Month by month the death rate Increased In-creased In alarming ratio Ily Match 1897 according to conservative cstl ates from official Spanish sources the Iolrm Among the reconcentra dos from 9 Iarvalon lind the disease thereto Incident exceeded fifty pr entum or the total number No price Steal relief was Recorded to the deel tlcll tute The vvburdened towns already al-ready suffering from the genera dearth snrln give n aid Boen lei established cultivation tones ot culhatlon etablh1 within I tho Immediate area or effective military control about the cities and fprtllled camps proved Illusory As n remedy for the suffering lur unfortunates being for the most i ort women and children I will enfeebled by aged and helpless men disease And hUMe cent not have tilled the Sell without tools seeds or shelter for their own support or for the supply ot the cites Ileconccntra lion adopted avowedly as a war measure aloptd ure In order to cut oft the resource o r the Insurgents worked Its predestined rpult As I said In my mesa go of last December I was nol civilized warfare I t wall extermination The only peace I could la beget A a that ot the n tide and the ness gave CONFLICTING FOnTUNES OF TiE I AUMIRp Meanwhile the military situation lithe Manwhl 11011 had undergone a noticeable change The extraotdlary activity that characterized the second year of the war Albert the Insurgents Invaded even the hrtherto unharmed fields I of Ilnar del Itlo anti carried havoc and destitution destitu-tion up to the IN a Jim of the city of Havana itself had relapsed Into ado a-do ed struggle In the central and CoxRE easrn rovlnu The Spanish army regained a measure meas-ure or control In Plnar del Hlo and parts of Havana but under the existing exist-ing conditions of the rural country without Immolate Improvement of their productive situation Tvon thus partially restrlcted the l revolutionists L i held lrr own and their I submission put forward by Spal as the essential and sole basis of peiice seemed a far dllant no at the Outset In this state of affairs my administration adminis-tration round Itself confronted with the gravf problem ot its duly My mage m-age of lost Dmbe reviewed the I situation and detailed the steps taken with a view of relieving Its acuteness wih and opening the way to some form of honorable settlement The assassination I assassina-tion of the prime minister C novas led to oi change of government In Spain I hceha former admlnlstritlan which pledged subjugation wltlnLt I concession gave place to that of a moro llberil Party committed ling In advance 10 a policy of Reform InvolvIng Involv-Ing the wider principle of home rule for Cuba And Puerto RIM MORE LIBERAL POLICY ADOPTED Vrhe overtures of this Kivtiinifn made through Its new envoy Gen oodford and looking to I JnrioJI 110 ffective amenoraton or the con dillin I ot tIe Island oltlionjniot R ceptcd lo the extent of jjmktrj mediation med-iation In any shape wero 1t ly an urllces that hVme rule In an All fered to Cuba without waiting for the war 10 end and that INt humane methods should henceforth prevail In Ihe I conduct ot hostilities Incidentally with then declarations the new government gov-ernment ot Spain contnue and com rJctrd the policy already begun by Its predecessors or holfYllg friendly regard re-gard for this nation by rlenlng Amorlcan Ir ItIzens held under one charge or Another connected with the Insurrection so that by the end or November not 1 single person entitled In any way to qur national protection reclined In a Spanish prison RELIEF OF IUCONCINTIIADOS While these negotiations were In progress the Increasing destitution of the unfortunat concentrados and the I alarming mortality among them clnlmfd I earnest attention Tho success which had attended I the limited measure meas-ure of relief extended to the suffering Am1 taU citizens l among tlitm hVCA udlclous expenditure through the consular con-sular agencies of the money appropriated appropri-ated expressly for their succor by the ale L resolution approved May J4 1KJ7 romptcd tire humane extension of n mllar scheme to that great Jody I of sufferers A suggestion lo this end wa acquiesced In by the Spanish au thorttlea On t the 24th of December 111the caused to be Issued I nn appeal to the American people Inviting I contributions In money or In kind for Ihe succor of tho starving sufferers In Cuba Tollow Ing this on the 8th of January by a arn liar public announccm11 o the formation ot 1 central Cuban relief Committee with hondqunlters In New York composed of the members retire seating the American national fled pntng and the religious and business 10 fIRer1Rrtm elements of the community The efforts ot that committee have been untiring and accomplished much Arrangements for tree transportation to Cuba have treatly aided I the charitable woik I The lit on ot the AmeIcn Tied Crop Jldent II A I r oproen I A I ves or A I her contrlbu lory oglnlatols I have gnerally Its lied I Cuba A nit cooperated with the Conan general and the local uuthorl ties to make effective distribution of the relief collected through the efforts of I the central I committee Nearly 200 Ilrlr 3 OW In I money and supplies II has already reached the strife era and more In I forthcoming The supplies are admitted duty Ie and transportation to the In I terlor ban been rauI ou that the relief at first necearl conUno to Invana nnd 1 tire larger lleI now extended tended through most If not nil o the towns ohere fferlnr ixlsts 1hou Binds of lives I have heady li aveo The nee > 5lty for a change In the Cant it Or Or tire rollrcnllo 11 I recognized 1 by 1 the Spanish goveri enlj Within 1 few days past the ordr or General Wcyler have been revoked the icconcentrmlos are It in I raid to be Permitted Per-mitted to return to their homes and aided to resume the Kelfsupi t ng pursuit of peace public works have been stalled to give them employment and the pum ot GOO two has hen II proptlatcd for their relief CANNOT riGHT IT OUT The war In Cuba Is I of such a nature that short of subjugation or ate rcran atlon 1 final military victory for the other side eems Impmctlcnhle The alternative Seems In the physical ex Intention of the one or the other party or perhaps both a condition which In effect ended the ten years war by the truce of Zan Jon The prospect ot much a rotrarlon and conclusion or the present strife Is l contingency hardly hard-ly to uc contemplated with the equanimity o the civilized world and least of all by the United States affected af-fected and Injured us we are deeply and Intimately by Its er existence Realizing this It appeared to be My duty In a spirit ot true friendliness n less to Spain than to Cubans who have so much to lose by the prolongation ot the struggle to seek to bring about an Immediate termination or the war THE LATE NEGOTIATIONS To this end I submitted on the 27th ulUmo 00 a result ot much rot resenta lion and correspondence through the United States minister at Madrid propositions to the Spanish rovernment looking to an armistice until October 1 for the negotiation ot Peace with the good omens ot the President In addition I asked the immediate revocation or the older ot reconeentra tlon so as to permit the people tore turn to their tar nnd the needy to be relieved with provisions and sup piles In the Unltnd States cooperatin Plies Itnhthe UnlpII cooperln with the Open h authorities so as 10 afford full relief The reply of the Spanish cabinet was received on the night of tire slat ultimo I offers as the mean 10 bring About peace In Cuba to confide the preparation thereof to the Insular department Inasmuch as the concurrence concur-rence ot that body would be necessary to establish a final result It being however understood that the powerb reserved by the Constitution to the Central government ate nol lessened or diminished An the Cuban parliament parlia-ment does not meet until the 111 of May next the Spanish government would not object for Its part to oc eelt ° t once I stsponslon ot hostilities It ak1 for by Insurgents from the generallnchlcf to whom It would pertain per-tain In such cane to determine the duration and conditions or the arm tattoo The propositions submitted by Gen Woodford and the reply of the Spanish government were both In the tom oc brief memoranda the texts ot which are before mentioned and substantially In the language above given Th function of the Cuban parliament In thn matter of preparing peace and the manner or doing so are MI e > prd In the Spanish memorandum but from Oen oodfords explanatory reports or preliminary discussions prdlng the final conference I Is understood that the Spanish government govern-ment stands rendy to give the Insular congress full poerm 10 settle the terms of peace with the Insurgents hlher by direct l < oUalon or Indirectly Indi-rectly lie means ot legislation does not appear With this last overture In the direction di-rection of Immediate peace and Its disappointing dis-appointing reception by Spain the executive ex-ecutive was brought to the end ot his effort In my annual message of December last T said o the untried measures there remain re-main lecognltlon of the Insurgents na belligerents recognition of the independence in-dependence of Cuba and Intervention to end the mor by Imposing a i rational Compromise been the contestants and Intervention In favor ot one or the other party NO ANNEXATION I pak not of forcible annexation for that cannot be thought of That hy our coo ot morality woul be nUld crimInal aggression Thereupon I reviewed re-viewed these alternatives In the light if President Grants measured words littered In 1875 when after seven year ot sanguinary destructive and cruel barbarlll In Cubn he reuched the conclusion that the recognition ot the Independence 01 cogniton ImPracticable Im-practicable and Indefensible and that the recognition of belllberency was not warranted by the facts according to the tests ot public law I commented especially upon the latter aspect of the question pointing out the Inconvenl encen and positive i dangers or 1 recog ration ot belligerency which while adding to the already onerous burdens bur-dens of neutrality within our own Jurisdiction could not In any way extend ex-tend our Influence or effective offices In tire territory ot hostilities Nothing has since occurred to change my view in this regard and I lecog nlze as fully now an then that the Issuance I uance ot a proclamation ot neutrality ly which process the socalled recognition recog-nition of belligerency Is published could ot Itself and unattended by other action accomplish nothing toward to-ward tho I one end for which we labor the Instant pacification of Cuba and the cessation of the misery that afflicts I the Island NO CUBAN HECOONITION NOW Turning to the question of recognizing recogniz-ing at this time the Independence ot the present Insurgent government In Cuba we find safe precedents In our history from an early day They are well summed up In President Jockson Continued on page two1 |