T40 



UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. 



of the Spanish authorities, so as to afford full relief. 

 To this communication the Spanish Government 

 replied, on March 31, that it was willing to submit 

 to arbitration any differences of opinion that might 

 arise as to the " Maine " disaster ; that, being more 

 interested than the Government of the United States 

 in the establishment of an honorable and permanent 

 peace in Cuba, it intended confiding this mission to 

 the Insular Parliament, whose co-operation was ab- 

 solutely necessary, it being understood, however, 

 that the powers specially reserved by the constitu- 

 tion to the central Government were not to be in 

 any way impaired or diminished ; that there would 

 be no objection to a suspension of hostilities mean- 

 while, provided the insurgents asked for one, to last 

 during the pleasure of the commander-in-chief of 

 the Spanish forces ; that Gen. Blanco had already 

 revoked the order of reconcentration, although the 

 revocation could not have its full effect until mili- 

 tary operations were concluded, and 3,000,000 pe- 

 setas had been placed at his disposal to enable the 

 peasants to resume their usual vocations ; that the 

 Spanish authorities would nevertheless accept sup- 

 plies that might be sent from the United States for 

 necessitous Cubans under conditions to be agreed 

 upon by the Secretary of State and the Spanish min- 

 ister at Washington. Marshal Blanco, when heissued 

 his decree rescinding the reconcentration ban-do 

 for the western provinces, reported that these prov- 

 inces were so far pacified that the reconcentrados 

 could safely return to their farms. He announced 

 that he would protect them in their agricultural 

 operations, and would furnish them with tools and 

 seed, and with food from public kitchens till the 

 crops ripened, and also would give employment to 

 the able-bodied on public works. 



Offers of Mediation. The Spanish replr of 

 March 31 was regarded as final and as entirely un- 

 satisfactory, and the President prepared a message 

 to Congress covering the whole Cuban question. 

 The Spanish Cabinet sent to the great powers a 

 memorandum denying that there were torpedoes on 

 the spot where the " Maine " was blown up, and 

 asking for arbitration on the question, and in re- 

 gard to the reconcentrados explaining that the 

 country people had been required to inhabit the 

 towns because they were all rebel spies ; but that, 

 after sickness had broken out among them, they 

 had been permitted to return to their homes before 

 the question was brought up by the United States. 

 In reference to the demands of the President that 

 the war must be brought to an end, it was declared 

 that as soon as the rebels knew they would not be 

 supported and provisioned from the United States 

 they would capitulate. 



Before the President's message was sent to Con- 

 gress the Pope made an effort to avert war. With 

 this object he took steps in a semi-official way to 

 express to the governments in Madrid and Wash- 

 ington his ardent desire that peace should not be 

 be disturbed. Cardinal Rarnpolla, the Papal Sec- 

 retary of State, telegraphed to the Spanish Govern- 

 ment, asking what concessions it was prepared to 

 make, and the Papal Nuncio urged an immediate 

 suspension of hostilities between the Spanish troops 

 and the insurgents. The Pope sounded the Presi- 

 dent by means of informal inquiries through Arch- 

 bishop Ireland, and sought to induce the American 

 Government to get the insurgents to accept an ar- 

 mistice. The Austrian Government encouraged the 

 attempts at mediation, and received the backing of 

 Russia, France, and Germany. To the first com- 

 munication of the nuncio the Spanish Cabinet 

 replied that it had nothing to offer beyond its for- 

 mer declarations. Urged by the representatives of 

 the great powers, the Spanish ministers finally con- 

 sented to accept the mediation of the Pope, giving 



out that both governments had agreed to this prop- 

 osition, which was represented as originating in 

 overtures of President McKinley. The United 

 States Government explained that the President 

 had made no such proposal to the Vatican. In 

 fact, the President rejected the offer of mediation, 

 and through Minister Woodford urged the imme- 

 diate granting of an armistice, which was offered 

 by the Autonomist Government with the consent 

 of the Madrid authorities. 



The Cuban Autonomist Government sent an ap- 

 peal to President McKinley to respect the will of the 

 majority of the people of Cuba, who were repre- 

 sented as being in favor of home rule under Spanish 

 sovereignty. The representatives of the six great 

 powers called upon the President with an address 

 appealing to his feelings of humanity and modera- 

 tion, and expressing the hope that further negotia- 

 tions would lead to an agreement securing the 

 maintenance of peace and affording all necessary 

 guarantees for the re-establishment of order in 

 Cuba. The President replied that the Government 

 of the United States recognized the good will which 

 prompted the friendly communication, and shared 

 m the hope for peace and the re-establishment of 

 order in the island, " so terminating the chronic 

 condition of disturbance there which so deeply in- 

 jures the interests and menaces the tranquillity oi 

 the American nation by the character and conse- 

 quences of the struggle thus kept up at our doors, 

 besides shocking its sense of humanity." Express- 

 ing the appreciation of the Government of the 

 United States for the humane and disinterested 

 character of the communication from the powers, 

 he said it was confident that equal appreciation 

 would be shown for its own earnest and unselfish 

 endeavors to fulfill its duty to humanity by ending 

 a situation the indefinite prolongation of which 

 had become insufferable. A joint note presented 

 to Senor Gullon by the ambassadors of France, 

 Germany, Italy, and Russia elicited the reply that 

 Spain had reached the limit of international poli- 

 tics in the direction of conceding the demands and 

 allowing the pretensions of the United States. On 

 April 10 the Spanish Government formally pro- 

 claimed a suspension of hostilities, in compliance 

 with the request of the Pope and of the ambas- 

 sadors of the six powers, " in order to prepare for 

 and facilitate the establishment of peace in the is- 

 land," it was stated in Gen. Blanco's proclamation, 

 which was qualified by the provision that the de- 

 tails of its execution and the duration of the truce 

 should be determined by instructions to the. gen- 

 erals commanding. The United States Govern- 

 ment was notified by Minister Polo y Bernabe of 

 the granting of the armistice without conditions. 

 and stated that Spain had granted liberal institu- 

 tions to Cuba to be developed by the comingCuban 

 Parliament. The Emperor of Austria congratu- 

 lated the Pope on having secured an armistice. Tin 

 insurgent Government through Maximo Gomez lei 

 it be known that, unless Spain should agree to evac- 

 uate Cuba, the Cubans would not accept an armis- 

 tice and throw away their advantages at the begin- 

 ning of the rainy season, when a cessation of iiglit- 

 ing would be welcome to the Spanish tr< 

 President McKinley withheld his message until 

 Gen. Fitzhugh Lee and the other consular oflim- 

 had left for the United States, turning over tin 

 archives and the charge of American inteiv-i- t< 

 the British consuls. 



The President was slow in preparing his messairi 

 while a chance remained for a diplomatic settle- 

 ment, and delayed sending it after it was ready. <>i; 

 the ground that the consuls and Americans win 

 had not left Cuba ought first to be brought a\va\ 

 Meanwhile, both countries were mobilizing their 



