Evening star., 1896-11-07
CUBAN AFT AL R S
Consul General Lee Again Called on
the President.
PROBABLE COURSE OF THE EXECUTIVE
Matters Upon the Island Appar-
rentIy Quiet Now.
TWO ARMIES CONTRASTED

So far as can be learned no official ac-
ton has been taken by the President since
inc ARRIVAL here of Consul General Lee
from havana 10 Indicate a change In the
administration policy with respect to the
Cuban affair in the near future. General
Lee mace another visit to the White House
today, but remained only few minutes.
III Is understood that his visit was made
merely foi' the purpose Of taking leave of
the President, prior to his danartur. ,or
LIS Virginia home, and to express his vii
Ahgness TO return here at any time the
PRESIDENT or the Secretary of State NAV
desire to consult him further in regard "a
lhe conditions, present and prospective I'm
Cuba. 80
VIII Return 10 His Post.
He has not yet Indicated tbe nro,,.,,.
length Of his stay in the Jnited s,.t.a -.
ne makes no secret OF his inteption 70 70
, rurn to his post within a reasonable per,oa
Oh time. The climate OF Havana has been
30 penencial to him that he has arranged
10 take Mrs. Lee with him when he re-
euihs' his statement to this effect wou;d
seem 10 Indicate that he has no personaI
Iand a,n ,,, ihat the hostilities on the Is
1dha are likely to spread to the cr,ha,
capital Tor some time TO come In IL a re-
sohaoie ass sumption that If he anttclnated
on! Sonihc' between the contending forces
Withln the limits of Havana he u,o,i6 -,
think or taking his wife there
although no direct information can he
rad as TO the precise character of General
u report TO the President. there is ex-
celent ground for the statement that II ia
l.ot HkeIy 10 cause any material change In
tne general policy of the administration
al least not before the matter has heen
hrst submitted 10 the consideration of Con-
g-esS. " 1i
The Basfs of Legislative Acttou.
IL Is believed that the consul generals
iepoit VIII form the basis Of action by the
iesEiauVe body, regardless of whether the
president shows a disposition 10 put a sion
10 hosulities on the island or not. The
press reports OF the condition of affairs ON
me island do not seem to be questioned
ana IL Consul General Lee has aupli.d him
sen TO securing information regarding the
Tropapie outcome of the war, il is Thought
mat his report sustains the generally .,
cepted idea of the inability of the Snapish
authorities to control the island or bring
hostilties TO end
III the consul generals report does not go
70 congress with the Presidents message
there is a possibility that a resolution call
ing for 1t will be introduced early i'm III.
session. " 0
The President's Probable Course.
The impression prevails in certain ousr-
ters that President Cleveland has practi-
cally concluded 10 make no new departure
In the Cuban affair TO take any step at
TINS stage of affairs that might tend TO
emb&rrass the incoming administration,
unless such course becomes necessary by
an unlooked-for change in the situation
1t is reported that if the President shall
De satisfied that hostilities in Cuba are
likely TO continue indefinitely under the
nt8 ltal ll,-
gest In his forthcoming message to Con-
gress the propriety of peaceful meiiati
by the United States.
III the President adheres to the present
policy Mr.. Mckinley will have the CUBAN
question thrust upon him Immediately upon
taking up the duties of his Office Ii was
reported as long ago as last February that
II the Spanish government did not bring
hostilities to A conclusion in Cuba before
the beginning of the rainy season last
May, then This government would interfere
either by according TO the insurgents bellig-
erent rights or by the recognition of Cuban
independence.
The period named in that prediction has
long since passed, and there is no outward
evidence of any change in the adminstra-
ton policy. although ii has been rumored
that some decided step would be taken be-
fore the end Of the year
From what he has said since his ar
rival in this country, ii seems that General
Lee left matters in Cuba very quiet by
comparison with what has gone before.
Confined closely he was to Havana he
was Obliged to rely upon the same official
reports We're telegraphed 10 the United
States for news of what was going on In
the field, that his views OF the military
situation were rather narrow. OF course,
he was better prepared to discuss the
nomic aspect of the Cuban question. and.
after all, this is likely TO figure largely
as any other factor in the consideration Of
our future relations.
The Two Armies.
The army of the Spanish government now
under Gen. Weyler has been assumed 20
largely overshadow that of the struggling
men under Maceo but that il consisted of
such overwhelming numbers not imag-
ined. Gen. Lee shows that at present the
total forces under the insurgents do not ex-
coed 45, 0O men. Opposed to this force are
210,O00 finely-armed, well-dried regular
soldiers of the Spanish army. These men
are not actively i'm the field engaged in
chasing and fighting insurgent bands but
comfortably quartered in the towns and
villages OF the island. Gen. Lee shows that
possibly not 5000 men of the Spanish army
are today beyond sight of the towns, and
this has been the case since the war began
two years ago The insurgents on the
other hand. are always to the 'front.' ener-
getic and active, and ready always to meet
the foe. The commander of this great body
of Spain's troops sits placidly in his quar-
ters at Havana and spends his time playing
with his children and directing the move
Hent OF his troops by telegraph and hello
graph. When this method of carrying on
an aggressive campaign is considered by
military men, 1t is no wonder TO them that
the war in Cuba has been prolonged so far
or that its end, without Intervention by the
Ns~ L.