The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-18
SIGNIFICANCE OF
GEN. LEES RETURN
Result Of His RESORT TO President Cleye.
land Awaited with Interest.
OPINIONS AS TO WEyLER's CAMPAIGN
The Consul General Is Dumb When
Approached by Intervicwcrs, hut 1t
Is Believed That His Mission TO the
President Is One of Importance.

Washington, Nov. 17.-Consul General
FitZhugh Lee saw the president this
afternoon for the first time since lie
returned to the city on Saturday. He
only spent Il few moments with the
president, who had an engagement to
go driving with Mrs. Cleveland at
O'clock just about the time General
Lee called. The general says he Will
so to Fredericksburg tonight to visit
his mother, but will come back to
Washington at the end of this week.
Asked when he expected to return to
Havana he took refuge in his favOrlte
phrase, "qien sabe?" and this was his
informal reply to all questions today.
For fear of INSTRUMENTATION the gem
eral invariably explains that this liter
ally means who knows or rather, in
his own case, II have no idea"
In conversation today General Lee
appeared to attach considerable sig
nificance to the report cabled from Ha-
vana that General Weyler was expect
ed back in Havana this week and he
was disposed to report accurate. But
the most searching inquiry failed to
develop in just what direction the sig
nificance lay, whether it might be taken
as a positive indication that Weyler's
return from the field meant the failure
of his campaign or its partial success.
WILL NOT BE INTERVIEWED.
Whether General Lee has given any
more definite opinion to the president
or Secretary Olney cannot he wrung
from him by his closest personal ac-
quaintances. 1t is, however, plausibly
explained that General Campos was
severely criticised for keeping the field
during the ten years war, and that
General Weyler could. .advantageously
T.; uax
if he had passed with large bodies of
troops through the insurgents strong
hold and had been unable to force a
battle. In that event he would be COM
PEELED to divide his forces into num-
erOus small contingentS to operate
against the smaller bands of insur-
gents, nd in that kind of warfare his
immediate presence on the field would
be not only be superfiuous, but unwise.
In the field, under such circumstances.
he could not keep in communication
with all his forces. but from Havana he
could geographically control his troops
throughout the island.
If it is true that Maceo, as predicted,
has declined to hold all his men in one
place and given open battle to the
greater Spanish forces, then it is claim
ed Weyler was warranted in trusting
the campaign to subordinates. If, on
the other hand, so expert tactician
as General Lee. who appears from con-
versation to have acquired a thorough
geographical knowledge of the fighting
ground, has concluded that Weyler's
return shows that Maceo cannot be
conquered quickly, if at all, that the
insurgents position has been found
impregnable. and that further REIN
forcements must be furnished from
Spain, the situation loses none of it's
gravity. There are good grounds for
believing that General Lees report to
officials on this point is not altogether
different from the "quien sabe" he
vouchsafed to others. but on this point
superiors. -7'-.--------.-