The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-20
FITz. LEE AND GEN. WEYLER.
The Consul-General Says That he Can
See the American Prisoners.

Havana, Sept. 19.-Gen. Fitzhugh
Lee, the United States Consul-General
here, was asked to-day by representa-
tive Of the La Lucha, about the widely
circulated reports in some of the Amer
lean newspapers, charging Gen. Wey-
Ter with having had notice posted
at Las Cabanos directing that he (Gen.
Iftzhugh Lee) should be arrested and
detained there if he visited the fortress.
Gen. Lee was also questioned about
the statements frequently made in the
newspapers of the United States that
he was not permitted to visit the Amer
lean prisoners incarcerated in the forts
near Havana, and that therefore he
could not keep himself informed as to
the health and condition of these
prisoners. Replying to questions on
these subjects the United States Con-
sul-General said, in substance, in the
interview, which will be published this
afternoon:
"a few days after my arrival at
Havana, at the invitation of my pre-
decessor, Mr.. Williams, / accompanied
him on a visit to the Competitor prison
ers, confined at Las Cabanos. Some
days later / heard that it was against
the regulations to allow foreigners to
visit military forts at this time, even on
visitors day, as it is called, and that
the officers commanding at Las Caba-
nos had been reprimanded by Gen.
Weyler for allowing me to make the
said visit. The officer in question of
fered as an excuse that his subordi-
nate officers on duty at the gates did
not know me, but supposed / was one
,f +n Ia
fort on visitors day.
From abundant caution and in or
der to prevent any occurrence of that
sort in future, the commanding officer
at Las Cabanos, / heard, had notice
posted in one of the guard rooms di-
recting his officers to arrest and detain
me if / should again attempt to enter
the fort.
"When / heard of this notice / at
once called Geu. Weyler's attention to
il, and he very promptly haditremoyed.
I am informed that he reprimanded
the officer who had it posted.
"As to the statement that I am not
allowed to see the American prisoners
and that , prohibition does not APP
plyl r. Consuls of other countries,
e IRE to say that all such state
ments are incorrect. ], or my repre-
sentative, can see any or all the Ameri-
can prisoners at any time that it is
desirable to do so by simply giving
notice to the commanding officer of
the fort on the evening before. This
being done the officer is required by
Gen. Weyler to have the prisoners
named at q certain point where they
can be seen and talked with alone, if
necessary. Only a morning or two ago,
one of my representatives went over
to Las Cabanos and saw and conyersed
with all the Competitor prisoners, dis
tributing among them a lot of money
which had been sent to me for their
use, as well as a large bundle of Ameri-
can newspapers.
81 think it but justice to Gen. Weyler
to state these facts and to add further
that / know of no instance in which
he has made any discrimination against
the Consul General of the United
States who is now and has been in
the exercise of all the rights of Consuls
of other countries.
why, Gen. Weyler," added Gen.
Lee, ''has fined a Havana newspaper
for using offensive language about the
American Consul-General."