The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-10-13

NEW YORK, Oct. IA special to
the World from Washington says
The exciting dispatches of yesterday
from Madrid are explained by facts
revealed here today.
What this government has done has
been to formally notify the Spanish
government that the action recently
taken by it in Havana is in violation
of the treaty rights of this country,
and that for any damage to American
citizens or American dignity arising
therefrom Spain will be held respon-
sible
The circumstances are as follows:
Since Consul General Williams COM
PEELED Captain-General Calleia, while
general of Cuba, to recog ME
the treaty of 1877 in the case of JUNO
Sanguilly, and by so doing prevented
the trial of the latter by a military
court in Havana, last February, the
Spanish government has been restlVe
over the question of Mr.. Williams
diplomatic authority.
Denies Authority of Our Consul.
Senior Canovas. the Spanish prime
minister. after the subject was fully
considered at meeting of the Span
lsh ministry, at which he presided VI
person, decided to deprive MIR. Will
itams of all diplomatic authority and
confine him strictly 10 the purely COM
mercial or consular privileges OF his
office. Accordingly the Spanish min
istry of the colonies instructed General
Campos to inform Mr.. Williams that
henceforth he would not be recog-
transact business with the governor
general of Cuba upon other than COM
mercial matters General Campos sent
for Mr.. Williams recently and COM
municated to him the instructions from
Spain.
Secretary Olney straightway pre-
pared a state paper, in which he dis
agreed entirely with the conclusion of
the Spanish minister.
The action of the latter was based
on the consul treaty existing between
Spain and the United States. From
this treaty, signed in 1898, consulas~:A-
ficers did not receive any authority to
cover any diplomatic questions The
treaty with Spain, however, specifies
that the United States consular Of
ficers shall have all the rights and
privileges of the most favored ma
tons
Our Diplomatic Basis.
This affords the basis for Secretary
Olney's demand. The German gov
eminent has a consular treaty with
Spain, in which consuls and the con-
sul-general may act as diplomats if
circumstances demand.
Secretary Olney informs Senior Cano-
vas that the United States demands
that his government concede the same
privileges to the United States consul
general that are given to the consul
general of Germany
The language OF Secretary Olney's
diGpatch is said to be peremptory.
Should an American citizen be ares
ted at Havana and subjected to trial
by court-martial, or should any case
arise that calls for prompt action by
the consul-general, the refusal of the
local government to recognize him
might lead to disastrous results.
A dispatch was sent from the World
to the staff correspondent in Cuba -
recting him to call on Consul-General
Williams and obtain a statement from
him on the above subject. The fol-
lowing reply was received:
Matter was submitted to Mr. Will
liams. He declined to discuss the SUBJ
ject on the ground that it was a state
secret and that he was not at liberty
to speak about it. He admitted that
General CampOs had Informed him he
would not henceforth be recognized by
the government of the island in any
other than purely commercial and con-
sular matters"