The San Francisco call., 1897-10-26
SPANISH
REPLY NOW
SUBMITTED
Mr.. WoOdford Reserved
AS to Its Exact
Tenor.
WILL BE SENT TO
WASHINGTON.
lengthy Document Setting
Forth the Position of the
Madrid GoVernm ment.
NOT MUCH DOUBT OF THE
STAND TAKEN.
Spain VIII Accuse the United States
of Not Acting in Good
Faith.
Special Dispatch to The CALL

NEW YORK, Oct. 25.-The Worlds cor
respondent at Madrid cables: Spain $
answer 10 The American Governments s
communication expressing a wish that
the war in Cuba may end soon covers
thirty-eight closely written pages. 1t
will be cabled TO the State Department at
Washington IS soon as it is translated.
Minister Woodford maintains the strctest
reserve regarding its contents. Contrary
to The report he did Eot receive it until to-
day, when Senior Gullon, Minister of For
eisn Affairs, sent it to him.
The French Embassador, the MARQUIS
OF Reverseaux, gave a splendid lunch to-
day to General Woodford, the German.
English and Russian En- bass2dors. sew
eral foreign Ministers and Charge d. 'Af.
fairs, and the Spanish Ministers of For.
elgn Affairs and OF the Colonies General
Woodford Sat next to and conversed ami
matedly with Senor Moret, Spain's Colo.
nial Minister
& WASHINGTON. Oct. 25.-It is not
y fdeIbted among officials that the basis of
! fhe Spaai reply to Mr. Wood ford's note
VIII be the charge that the United States
has not observed the requirements of in
ternational law III the matter of prevent
ing hiibus ering. In this case the State
Department Will have some pertinent
facts to present, which its officials believe
VIII com pietely ALLEVIATE from Spain
any sympathy that she may have
contracted from any European ma
tlons on that score 1t is asserted
positively that in no single case where the
Spanish authorities have brought to the
attention OF our Government the fact that
IN Illegal expedition was abUut to start
from our snores for Cuba has il neglected
10 use all the means permitted by our laws
to prevent the start It has heen 80 in
dulgent IN this respect as TO accept state
ments from the Spanish officials not ac-
companled by proofs of the facts alleged.
but mere suggestions hat they had rea-
son 10 believe that an expedition was
formed In cases our Government has
proceeded 20 lengths in restraint nt
American commerce on insufficient evil
dence furnished by the Spanish Govern
ment that has resulted in the preference
OF large claims by American ship-owners
for illegal detention Of their ships. Then
the expense of maintaining the patrols
along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts has
been very heavy. Every time the State
Department has been obliged 10 call upon
a collector at a port the result has been a
heavy Dill OF expenses ior tugs, special
officers and other charges, while the At
A'crney-GeneraPs Office and, in fact, most
o the executive depart NJ ents, have been
put TO more or less trouble and expense
1he Navy Department especially has
been embarrassed, owing to the necessity
ior diverting vessels from oth-r places for
the dlsaGreeabie Florida patrol. On the
ofhelal estimates the expense tho
United States has been to 10 protect the
Cuban coast of Spain is about 50 600 OOo
Ihls is rCbably large estimate. but one
naval ofticer who is thoroughly coopizant
OF the strain put upon the department nv
Whe patrol stated that 1t would really he
cheaper for the United States 10 send
feet to Cuba and blockade the COAST tbero
against in coming fibusters than 10 trvto
stop them on our own extensive coast line
Altogether the officials hare are con.
hdent Of their ability to show that tho
government has more than Compiled with
the requirements of international Law
which as laid down in the Alabama arhi-
tration simply demands that a natio,
''use due diligence" 10 prevent the de-
parture of hostile expeditions.
On this phase OF the question the cor
respondence may be kept alive between
the State Department and the Spanish
Government until Congress meets, but il
IS expected that unless some re suits in the
direc ion OF The suggestions of Mr..
Woodford are forthcoming by that time
the President will refer the entire matter
to Congress and await its orders.