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Havana on the 30th. Captain-General Blanco succeeded him. At the same time they promised to give Cuba some such a government as that in Canada. While the island was to remain Spanish territory the people were to govern themselves. With any other civilized nation this proposed change in policy would have brought peace. But Spain could not keep her promise. She had instituted changes in the government of Cuba in former years—she had even given the island representation in the Spanish Congress-without affording any relief to the people of the island. Indeed matters had grown steadily worse instead of better. The promise of an autonomous government as carried out was a sham. A later promise to give relief to the reconcentrados was a more infamous sham, because it provided for permitting the starving people to go out to plant when they had neither tools nor seed. And when some did straggle out to gather the spontaneous products of the earth the Spanish soldiers, responsible only to local officers, shot many of them to death for the pleasure they had in inflicting suffering, and to enable their officers to report victories over bodies of insurgents!

In his first warning to the Madrid Government President McKinley set a date, December 1, 1897, by which time some manifest progress must be made in establishing order in Cuba,

lacking which a message would be sent to Congress recommending intervention-with arms if necessary. The Spanish Government replied that the time allowed was insufficient, and the date was changed to March 1, 1898.

Meantime, the knowledge that our Government would interfere was spread over the world, and the Cuban tories of Havana with the Spanish rabble began to menace the Americans resident there. The newspapers were particularly virulent in their remarks about Americans, and cartoons were circulated among those who could not read, in order to incite ill-feeling toward us.

In short, there was a steady threat of war in the attitude of the Spanish toward our movements in the interests of peace in Cuba. McKinley and his Cabinet, among whom the active president of the Massachusetts Peace Society held the post of Secretary of the Navy, were determined that they would use every endeavor, consistent with the pacifying of Cuba, to maintain peace, but the threat of war could not be ignored. The North Atlantic Squadron was sent to the Florida Keys, early in January, for the winter's drill. The presence of our ships in such a place was a plain statement that we were in earnest in our demands for order in Cuba that we were ready to support our demands with force. It was hoped and really be

[graphic]

The Battle-ship Maine Entering the Harbor of Havana.

Copyright, 1898, by F. C. Hemment.

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lieved that when Spain saw our readiness for war she would yield to the demands of reason, and give independence

to the unconquered Cubans.

Having started in this

line of action we were compelled to hold our course as long as Spain remained obdurate. Theodore Roosevelt, of New York, was then Assistant Secretary of. the Navy. While Secretary of the Navy Long used his influence in the Cabinet for the preservation of peace, Assistant Secretary Roosevelt showed his

[graphic]

Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

From a copyrighted photograph by
Rockwood.

extraordinary energy in preparing the navy for emergencies. But neither work for peace in the Cabinet, nor the drilling of the seamen at Key West could change the aspect of affairs in Cuba-especially in Havana, and at last, in order to provide a refuge for Americans there, in case of a mob attack, the second-class battleship Maine, Captain Charles D. Sigsbee, was, on January 25, 1898, ordered to Havana.

This was not only a move in self-defence,

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