The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-20

WASHINGTON, July 19.-For the frst
.ime in many years there was mid
summer cabinet meeting In Washing.
ton this afternoon In the absence of the
President. Secretary Of State Olney ap.
parently came to Washington from Fal-
mouth for the express purpose, for he
arrived at noon and will leave the city
immediately. Tomorrow morning. Sec
rotary olney called at the War Depart
ment soon after his arrival at the State
Department to talk with Secretary La.
mont. The latter was absent at the
time and he failed TO attend the cabinet
meeting, which was held later, although
an effort was made to summon him by
telephone.
Secretary Herbertn ext received a
visit from the Secretary OF State, and
about o'clock the pair walked over to
the State Department and were closeted.
Here they were joined in the course Of
half on hour by Secretary Carlisle and
Attorney General Harmon, who had
been called by telephone into the con-
ference.
This lasted for full two hours and from
time TO time, Assistant Secretary Mo-
Adoo, who has been acting as Secretary
OF State during the absence OF Mr. Olney,
was called into the room to advise the
Cabinet as to some point under discus
sion. Whatever was the subject or SUBJ
| jects considered cannot be learned, and
apparently 1t was resolved to keep the
| proceedings secret, for each Of the per-
sons present as they emerged declined
| courteously positively to answer a sim
| gle question.
ALI that could be gathered was to
the effect that nothing had happened
at Gray Gables to give rise to any ap-
| prehension. Still there was an air Of
| gravity in the demesnor of the cabinet
| officers as they emerged from the con-
| ference that would indicate that some
weighty and important questions had
been under discussion. What these
may have been can only be surmised
without any tangible evidence OF prob
ability.
One theory Ia that the Mora claim
was before the cabinet in the shape of
| some proposition from the Spanish
! government for Its settlement that per.
haps involved the element o&.long time
and consequently justified some hesita-
ton before IL could be disposed Of.
Another idea preached that there was
an ugly question as to the fulfillmens Of
our neutrality obligations towards
Spain that had caused the sudden as
sem blage of the cabinet officers.
This has some color from the fact that
the particular officers gathered at the
State Department this afternoon were
just those who would be charged with
she execution Of the neutrality laws.
The Secretary Of State would be clothed
with general supervision, the attorney
general would look after the enforce-
ment OF the law ashore, the Secretary
OF the Treasury through the collectors
OF customs and revenue cutters would
care for the. ports and coasts.
In further confirmation of this theory
1t was said that the Spanish minister.
Senior Dupuy de LONE had suddenly ar
rived in Washington from Massechu-
| sets. but q close search failed to disc
cover his whereabouts, and Secretary
| Olney would not ad NIT that he had seen
him. There are those who believe that
1t was the subject of neutrality which
| engaged the most serious attention OF
the cabinet officers.
1t is known that they have been
watching narrowly the proceedings OF
the Cuban sympsthiZers who have been
operating in the United STATES, and 1t Is
believed that the open and questionable
|
lately, when convention went through
the forms OF electing presidents for
| Cuba, has given rise to some doubt on
the part of our Government as to
whether this was proceeding that did
| not in itself constitute, at least in
spirit, an infraction OF that principle of
the neutrality laws which forbid the
use OF the United States as base OF
| operations against a nation with which
the United States Is on terms OF peace.
If this view was taken from cabinet
meeting TODAY IL is likely that it will
be manifested through the Issue of
another Presidential proclamation
much more sweeping in it's terms than
than that already put forth, warning
residents OF this country against an In
fraction OF the neutrality laws, and this
in turn may be followed by instructions
to the judicial officers OF the govern
meDt that will summsrily check any
hostile movements against tho Span
iards in Cuba from this country.
Refuses to Grant the Order.
Ippcpv NYrv Ju1, J,,,,tao