| Show THE NEW CUBAN POLICY So much has been said about Crete Greece and Turkey lately that any reference to Cuba has been a relief There was a reference to Cuba in yesterdays erdays dispatches it was about the policy of the administration toward the island The news is to the effect that Secretary Sherman has decided to be very firm with Spain that he will not merely protect American citizens but that he will make it plain to Spain that she cannot carry on a war in the closing clos-ing years of the last decade of the nineteenth century upon principles that are against modern civilization Moreover More-over it is said notice has been served on the Spanish government informally informal-ly as yet that this government recognizes recog-nizes a state of civil war on the island of Cuba which demands different treatment of prisoners taken In action All this may or may not be so but still one cannot but smile to read about the indignation over the manner in which the war in Cuba is being carried on because it is not in accord with the principles of modern civilization War on the principles of modern civilization civiliza-tion Rather a sad commentary on civilization this phrase War is barbarism bar-barism say what we will Its object is to kill maim and destroy and it really makes but small difference whether the killing maiming and destroying de-stroying be done with a sharp or a dull knife The sharpness of the knife seems to be the test as to whether a war is conducted on civilized or barbaric bar-baric principles If this government has served notice on the Spanish authorities that it recognizes a state of war in Cuba why not make proclamation of the fact to all the world That fact would relieve it of the necessity of watching filibuster filibus-ter expeditions and the like It is possible the administration has determined on a policy towards Cuba different from that pursued by Mr Clevlahd but Ifj it has the evidences of itso far as the public is concerned are not plainly visible When a rad ical departure is made the fact of it I will scarcely be left to conjecture |
