Section C: International option Empire and the emergence of world powers, 1870–1919 Read the sources and then answer both parts of the question. Source A For how long will the Spaniards drench Cuba with the blood and tears of its people? How long shall old men and women and children be murdered by the score, the innocent victims of Spanish rage? How long shall the sound of rifles at sunrise proclaim that helpless prisoners of war have been murdered in cold blood? How long shall Cuban women be the victims of Spanish outrages and lie sobbing and bruised in loathsome prisons? How long shall women passengers on ships flying the American flag be unlawfully seized and stripped and searched by brutal, jeering Spanish officers, in violation of the honour of the United States? How long shall American citizens, arrested while on peaceful and legitimate errands, be held in dirty Spanish prisons without trial? How long shall the United States sit idle and indifferent? How long? From an editorial in a New York newspaper, 1897. Source B Nothing is known of the cause of the loss of the battleship Maine. It is resting on the bottom of Havana Harbour, and two officers and 251 sailors have perished. Naval men say the disaster could have been caused by accident. It was some form of high explosive that destroyed the Maine. It carried enough ammunition to wreck a navy. Until an inspection of the wreck by divers shows whether the Maine was destroyed by its own ammunition or by an enemy, guesswork is pointless. Nobody is so foolish to believe that the Maine was destroyed by Spaniards with the knowledge of their government. A fanatic might have acted out of private hatred of the United States, but Spain has too many reasons to avoid offending us to indicate that it would not carefully protect a ship of our navy visiting its waters. From 'The New York Times' editorial, 17 February 1898. Source C The grounds for intervention in Cuba may be summarised as follows: first, to end the bloodshed, starvation and horrible miseries existing there; second, to protect our citizens' lives and property; and third, the very serious injury to the trade and business of our people. These dangers have been illustrated by a tragic event in which 258 brave sailors and two officers of our navy have been thrown to their deaths, bringing grief and want to their homes, and sorrow to the nation. The Naval Court of Inquiry was unanimous that the destruction of the Maine was caused by an exterior explosion, that of a submarine mine. The responsibility remains to be decided. In any event, the destruction of the Maine, by whatever exterior cause, is proof of an unacceptable situation in Cuba. The Spanish government cannot assure the safety of an American ship in the harbour of Havana on a mission of peace. From the War Message to Congress by President McKinley, 11 April 1898. Source D Shall the American people continue their march towards the commercial supremacy of the world? Today, we are making more than we can use. Therefore, we must find new markets for our produce. We need what we have taken in 1898. Think of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who will build a civilisation of energy and industry in Cuba, when a government of law replaces the reign of anarchy and tyranny. The resources and the commerce of the immensely rich dominions will be increased as American energy is greater than Spanish laziness. In Cuba, alone, there are fifteen million acres of forest unacquainted with the axe, exhaustless mines of iron and priceless deposits of minerals. There are millions of acres yet unexplored. Cuba is as large as Pennsylvania and is the richest spot on the globe. Fellow Americans, we are God's chosen people. We cannot fly from our world duties. From a campaign speech by a US Senator, September 1898. Answer both parts of the question with reference to the sources.