4-5 U.S. PROTECTED CRUISER "COLUMBIA" (7,375 TONS).

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THF RESULTS AND LESSONS OK THE WAR.

AFTER the destructionof Cervera's squadron L\ and the fallof Santiago the war hadbeen carried onby Spainin a veryhalf-hearted fashion. Even the more sanguine of theMadrid politicians felt that there was no longer any prospectofultimatetriumph for the- Spanish arms,or ofany otherPowerforciblyinterveningto stay the progress of the victors. The most that could be hopedforwas somelocalsuccess whichmight givesatisfaction to national feelinginSpain and make iteasier to accept the hard conditions that must be the price of peace. But even this lingering hope was doomedto disappointment.

As a result of failure abroad the Spanish Government was brought face to face with the danger of revolution and civil war in the home country. It was under these circumstances that in the last week of July the Oneeil-Regent took the first st cure peace by appealing to the friendly good offices of France. M. Jules Cambon, the French ambassador at Washington, was instructed to ask President McKinley what terms couldbe granted to Spain. ThePresident replied that the evacuation of Cuba and Puerto Rico wouldcertainly be requiredand the o of a coaling station in the Ladrone i I ihe fate of the Philippines was reserved 6 further consideration. No war indemnity would be demanded, but the United States would not accept any responsibility for the Cuban colonial debt.

M. Cambon was entrusted with powers to treat on behalfof Spain, but hadnevertheless to refer everyimportant questionby cablemessage to the MadridCabinet, with the result that the negotiations dragged on for nearly a fortnight. The delay placed the Spanish Government in a worse position than it would have occupied if the first terms offered by the President had been at once made the basis of an armistice. In that case the preliminary treaty could have been signed before the garrison of Manila was reduced to extremities.

The draftof the peace preliminaries was not finally accepted by both parties until August 12th. The document embodying this preliminary treaty was signed at 4 p.m.on that day at Washington by M. Cambon on behalf ol Spain, and by Mr. Day on behalf of America. The articles of the treaty were:— I. Spain will renounce all claim to sovereignty over, and all her rights over, theisland of Cuba.

II. Spain will cede to the United States the island of Tuerto Rico and the other islands which are at present ihe sovereignty of Spain in the Antilles, as wiII ia an island in the Ladrone Archipelago to be chosen by the I'nited States.