The news & observer., 1896-12-29
THE PROVOKING FiLIBUsTER.
Spanish Officials Claim That Customs
Officers Are Not Active Enough.

Spanish Officials Claim That Customs
Officers Are Not Active Enough.
Washington, Dee. 2S-No information
has been received at either the Treasury
Department or the Department OF Justice
respecting the suspected flibuster Three
Friends" except the announcement OF
her seizure, nor have any special instruc-
tions been given to the local officials as to
the legal course to be pursued.
There is no doubt that the officials are
not entirely satisfied with the way the
business of preventing filibustering
expeditions from leaving our ports
has been conducted, and it is
believed that Assistant Secretary
Wike. who is now in Flirida, will
make it his business to investigate the
whole matter. 1t is known that the Span
isi Minister here has made repeated COM
plants OF the State Department that
some of the government officials in Flor
ida have money interests in some of the
steamers engaged in violating the nett
trality laws by carrying expeditions to
Cuba. These complaints have been fer
warded to the chief customs officers in
Florida, and while the reports admit the
fact OF subordinates or members of their
families holding interests in some OF the
we'll known flibusters, it is claimed that
this fact has not had, and could not have,
any influence upon the official acts of the
subordinate officials.
Up to this time these statements have
been allowed to pass as satisfactory an
swers to the charges but the officials here
are greatly annoyed by the frequent sue
cessful trips Of the filibusters, and it is
not unlikely that mere stringent measures
to put a stop TO them will be adopted
Whether the subordinates owning in-
terests in these vessels will be required
to resign is not known, but if it is made to
appear that any one of them is under
reasonable suspicion prompt action will
be taken. The presence in Florida Of As
sistant Secretary Wike, however, is not
by direction OF Secretary Carlisle. Mr..
Wike is arranging for the trip expressed
to the Secretary that he would like to
look into the filibustering business in
Florida, and the Secretary willingly gave
consent, and issued an order placing the
revenue cutters in those waters under the
Assistant Secretary's orders.
EFILIBUSTER MAY BE LIBELLBD.
|: Washington, Dec. 2S.-It is learned that
when the alleged fibustering craft, the
:Three Friends, arrives at Jacksonville,
whittier she is bound in charge Of a Gus
CONS officer, she will be lbelled for viola
tion of the neutrality laws. An important
point in connection with the case, it is
said, will depend upon whether or not
tse Three Friends had a gun mounted
aboard her, the offense in this event be-
s,+eg hov oil
be, and not at all dependent on whether
ors not the gun actually was fred.
AT the Spanish legation no news has
been received concerning the Three
Ffiends and nothing is known beyond
press reports concerning the alleged fight
wifh Spanish vessels.
GERMANY MADE NO MOVE.
Berlin, Dec. 28.-The representative
here of the Associated Press is informed
that not only has Germany not made
representations to Washington regarding
Cuba as stated in a dispatch to the Times
from Paris on Saturday last, but Ger
many has not been approached on this
subject by any other power in any way
whatever.
JOHN BULL HAS SAID NOTHING.
London, Dec 2S.-The foreign office
informs the Associated Press that no COM
munications to any power regarding Cuba
and the United States have been made by
Great Britain, and it is stated that no rep
reservations directly or indirectly have
been made on the subject to the United
Stats by Great Britain. If any other
powers. have done so the Foreign Office
has nots been aware Of the fact.
MOVEMENTS OF GOMEZ.
New York, Dec. 28.-The Cuban Junta
in this city was officially informed to-day
that General Maxine Gomez last week
passed the eastern trocha at Moron, GO
ing west Other advices from Gomez
state that the Spaniards acknowledge the
concentration OF insurgent forces in the
province OF Santa Clara near Matanzas.
WEYLER STILL CAMPING.
Havana, Dec. 2s.-Captain General
Weyler, since Saturday last, has been