hose who were responsible for the
slaughter of American sailors within the shadow of Morro Castle.

CHAPTER II.

THE PRELIMINARIES.

War between two nations does not begin suddenly. The respective
governments are exceedingly ceremonious before opening the "game of
death," and it is not to be supposed that the United States commenced
hostilities immediately after the disaster to the _Maine_ in the harbour
of Havana.

To tell the story of the war which ensued, without first giving in regular
order the series of events which marked the preparations for hostilities,
would be much like relating an adventure without explaining why the hero
was brought into the situation.

It is admitted that, as a rule, details, and especially those of a
political nature, are dry reading; but once take into consideration the
fact that they all aid in giving a clearer idea of how one nation begins
hostilities with another, and much of the tediousness may be forgiven.

Just previous to the disaster to the _Maine_, during the last days of
January or the first of February, Senor Enrique Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish
minister at Washington, wrote a private letter to the editor of the Madrid
_Herald_, Senor Canalejas, who was his intimate friend, in which he made
some uncomplimentary remarks regarding the President of the United States,
and intimated that Spain was not sincere in certain commercial
negotiations which were then being carried on between the two countries.

By some means, not yet fully explained, certain Cubans got possession of
this letter, and caused it to be published in the newspapers. Senor de
Lome did not deny having written the objectionable matter; but claimed
that, since it was a private communication, it should not affect him
officially. The Secretary of State instructed General Woodford, our
minister at Madrid, to demand that the Spanish government immediately
recall Minister de Lome, and to state that, if he was not relieved from
duty within twenty-four hours, the President would issue to him his
passports, which is but another way of ordering a foreign minister out of
the country.

_February 9._ Senor de Lome made all haste to resign, and the resignation
was accepted by his government before--so it was claimed by the Spanish
authorities--President McKinley's demand for the recall was received.

_February 15._ The de Lome incident was a political