The times., 1897-05-13
Foreign Relations Subcommittee
Lock Int Official Files.
SENATE FOR QUICK ACTION
Senator Morgan Assures the Presi-
dent of TIE Universal Feeling in
Moral Support to the Insurgents
Battling for Cuba's Freedom.

tutiOu III kbstb bS NSit-irN NANi-
today, pending the submission TO the Sen
ate today OF facts presumably Go be OBJ
tanned from the President, the Secretary
Of state, and the records Of the State
Department, was declaration OF great
Importance and interest The statement
has been made from time 70 time by PRO
Admin straCion Senators that the real
facts IL the CUban-S panish war were Cniy
obtairabIe from the sources named, hot
withstanding the contention Of Senator
Morgan that all of the necessary anc :ll-
rortans Information has been known to
the Committee on Foreign Relations, and
even to the public, for several mon lbs.
Recently the drift of those III the Senate
who have osteusihly reflected the views
of the Administration has been that what
was wanted was an official declaration
OF the facts, or rather the securing OF
them from official sources
THIS was the position OF such Senator'S
rs Foraker and Lodge, while Senator Hale
has been continuously, either by design
or by desire, skeptical as TO the barbarpIs
character OF SPANS warfare on the island
In the committee yesterday Mr.. Morgan
was informed that news recently received
from Consul General Lee at the State De
partment would be, among other infCrma-
uion, desirable. and il was the understand
ing that this might be obtained, together
with a view Of the files in the State
Department, that induced him - request
the delay above referred to.
It was decided that this insorm a.i0n
be asked for by a subcommittee OF the
Foreign RelsuOus Committee, consisting Of
MT Davis, chairman; Mr. Morgan, and
Mr. Foraker. These gentlemen left the
Senate at few minutes before 1 clock
yesterday afternoon, and proceeded TO
tie White House 20 see the President.
After a conference with him, which
lasted almost three-quarters OF an hour,
and which was so important that the
President abandoned his lunch, these
Senators called at the State Depart
Inent. where they conferred with SecTe-
tary Sherman, and were then given ac-
cess to the confidential files OF the de
pastment. including the hith erto sup
pressed cores pondepce which eX-Sec-
retary oIney declined to send to the
Senate.
After the conference with Secretary
Sherman at the State Department, Mr.
Sherman paid a visit to the White House
and had long talk With the President
When the subcommittee separated Z was
to meet at 8 O'Clock last night at the resi-
dence Of the Secretary OF State. This meet
Ing was held Senator Davis, the chair
man, was asked after the conference if
ne couid indicate in any way its result,
but he Saidthatit was of such mature that
he could not be interviewed as to the mat
tiers discussed
A4l of these events indicate that he dis
russion today in the Senate may be Ger
fainly interesting, if not sensational
The movements Of the subcommittee were
The result OF statements made in the meet
ing of the Senate committee yesterday
morning, and the information gathered
yesterday will be laid before the full COM
nittee this morning at special meeting
which has been called for o O'Clock
1t has been apparent for some days that
IF the Senate reached a vote on the Morgan
resolution it would pass it instead of re-
ferring iu TO the committee, as some of the
Administration Senators have urged. This
ronviction became so strong in the minds
of Senators that Mr.. Morgan was prevailed
upon to ask that the discussion of the
resolution be postponed until today at
noon. and that in the meantime a com.
nlttee wait upon the President.
Very naturally, none of these Senators
will discuss the details pertaining to this
conference 1t is known. however, that
the Cuban situation was discussed from
Every point OF view, and the President
plainly told of the sentiment prevailin-; in
the Senate There was the freest possible
Interchange of views throughout the dis-
cussion
The. President expressed the IiveIiest
sympathy for the people OF that island
now fighting for their life and liberty, and
declared that he expected TO act in such
way as to meet the hearty approval Of
the people OF this country who have always
been first in the expression of their sym
pathy for the oppressed. The President
Eaid further that he was not content to
accept the statements of the agents of
this Government as to what the conditions
were several months ago; he wanted TO
know what they were now, and assured
the committee that the State Department
had been energetic in ascertaiiling from
its representatives in Cuba the exact
status of the war at the present time.
These communications from the &C
credited agents Of the Government were
Oh file and the President asked the
committee to visit the State Depart
ment and inspect them for themselves.
He admitted that they disputed very
materially the claims made by the rep
rcscntatives of the Spanish government
that the province as been pacitied,
and showed, on the contrary, that the
insurrection was stronger than ever, and
the Spanish troops making less Roadway
than they did some months previous
Still, the President said, he wanted more
and still further information, and sug-
gested that il would be more TO his lik-
ing if the resolution pending in the Sem
ate could be held up until he had heard
from his commissioner, Judge Calhoun,
who had gone to the island with in
structions to report upon the conditions
there as speedily as possible
While there was throughout the inter
view vein OF sympathy for Cuba AMI an
intimation that at the right time such ao-
tion would be taken would meet the ap-
provaI of the American people. there was
not that outspoken, ringing, tone in the
voice OF the President the committee had
hoped 70 hear. From what he said the
inference was drawn that it was the Presi-
dents desire to await further atlyices end
then to take the initiative upon that in
formation independent of anything that
may have been done previously, thereby
drawing to the present Administration
the full credit for the steps that may be
taken.
The members OF the Committee were not
less free in giving their views than the
President. They told him frankly, Senator