Page:Dramatic Moments in American Diplomacy (1918).djvu/244

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224
DRAMATIC MOMENTS

and tolerant good will which have sometimes been manifest with us almost to a fault, were totally lacking, and that Woodford was justified in the conclusions of his final telegram:

"* * * I believe that you will get final settlement before August 1 on one of the following bases: Either such autonomy as the insurgents may agree to accept, or recognition by Spain of the independence of the island, or cession of the island to the United States. I hope that nothing will be done to humiliate Spain."

He said that he was satisfied that the government at Madrid was going, and was loyally ready to go, as fast and as far as it could.

And this the whole record abundantly confirms. Step by step in this one-sided diplomatic encounter the Spaniards had yielded every demand, until now they had given all.

Nevertheless, on the 11th of April, McKinley sent the message to Congress. The only mention in this war document of the final yielding of the Queen was a terse statement,