THE LESSONS OF THE WAR. 45 moderate indemnity for the " unexhausted improvements" in the late Spanish possessions.

added on its more obviouslessons. The United States had learned by bitter experience what a false economy theremaybeinbeing illprepared for war. Even the navy, in the weeks that Thus,after nearly three centuries of empire, Spain was forced to resign the last of her possessions beyond the seas, except the Canaries, a few posts on the shores of Africa, anel some small islands in the Pacific. But the United States had already discovered that with the conquered colonies of Spain they had taken over her colonial troubles. In both Cuba and the Philippines the party of independence preceded the outbreak of hostilities, was so ill provided with ammunition that it was only by exceptional efforts that enough couldbe sent to Dewey to enablehim to attack the Spaniards at Manila.

The ammunitionfor the fleet wascollected at ane of the eastern arsenals. It wasloadedupon THE I'RADO, HAVANA.

threatened an appeal to arms, which might mean a prolonged civil war. The Philippine insurgents in their hour of triumph had been guilty- of the most hideous cruelties and outrages on the upholdersof Spanish rule, and to hand the islands over to these semi-savages was impossible. America had incurred a grave risibility in rousing them to revolt during her quarrel with Spain. And it is difficult to seehow the wrongsof Cuba justified this war of conquest in the Far East— a war which let loose the forces of barbarous savagery upon a white population.

Thereisno need to discuss further inthis place the results of the war. A few words may be a heavy goods train, the closed cars of which weresealed, the wholeoperationbeingconducted with such secrecy that only three members of the Cabinet and the officers and men actuallyengagedin the work knew what wasin progress. The train was thendespatched to San Francisco, whence its cargo was forwarded to Mirs Bay, near Hong Kong. Meanwhile the American Minister at Madrid had been instructed to use every endeavour to protract the negotiations, so that the declaration of war might be delayed till the preciouscargohadreached theUnited States Paeilie Squadron. Commodore Dewey only received these vitally necessarysupplies twodays before lie sailed for Manila Bay. That such