Evening star., 1897-02-25
Intense Feeling in Congress Portends
Decisive Action.
DOUBT AS TO GEN. LEES RESIGNATION
A Hint That He May Be Re-
called.
CONS Sc RVATIV POLICY

The stir manifested over the Cuban reso-
lutions in the Senate today but :nfperfectly
represents the intensity of feeling which
really exists. The belief is very general
that a crisis is seriously threatened al
once. The State Department is doing its
best to keep back all information calcu-
lated to in ,raase the excitement and to add
to the gravity OF the situation, and a few
conservative senators are exertiug their
greatest power and influence TO aid Mr.
Olney in this policy of pacificaton
There is general understanding in the
Senate based either positive infornla-
ton on intimations of convincing char
acter, that the situation is extremely crit
icai. and that existing facts are such as to
make it seem humiliating and disgraceful
for this country to submit longer to out
RACES American citizens.
The Senate is formally considering the
| matter from the standpoint of the San
gully case. merely because it has Off
cial information and documents on that
case; but the intensity of feeling ana eager
Eess for action is provoked by unofficial in
formation rs TO the actual state of affairs
n Cuba. 1t IS not the intention of the ad
inirtstraton-and this means Cleveland
rather thaa Olney-that the Senate shall
have official Information of character to
compel congressional action.
Gen. Lees Status.
The State Department continues to deny
that Consul General Lee has resigned and
in fact. to deny all information calculated
to cause excitement. This denial is per-
sisted in with the hope that the friction
between General Lee and the department
may yet be smoothed out. and the fact
will not be admitted until General Lee has
actually broken off his relations with the
department.
Gen. Lee is insisting upon being relieved
IRON his embarrassing position, and the.
department is exerting every influence to
prevent his resgning under circumstances
which would amount almost to a scandal
IN the last days of the admnistra ton. The
department Is very doubtful about being
able to restrain him, and it is being quiet
ly insinuated that the trouble is merely
personal between Gen. Lee and the de-
partment, and will have no bearing of i'm
portance on the situation in Cuba. When
report was started today that Cen Wey-
Ter had withdrawn Gen. Lees exeuuatur il
was readily believed and caused consider
able excitement. Later the report was de-
MED as having nc authority.
Lee May Be Recalled.
An official of the State Department said
today in the most positive manner that no
communication has been received at the
department from Gen. Lee that can be
construed into a threat to resign unless he
was fully sustained in his action in the
sotctt tdse Cf any OtueT case involving the
treatment of American prisoners in Cuba
The Official said it might be a fact that
Gen. Lee had given such intimation to the
American newspaper men in Havana. but
if so he had failed to include it in his off
clal correspondence with the department.
1t was added that the statements recent
ly made by the officials of the White House
and the State Department denying the re-
ported intention of Gen. Lee to resign his
Office were based solely on the kilograms
and letters received from him on official
matters. and We're moi intended to state
what the private opinion or intentions of
the consul general might be- In other
words Gen. Lee may, as an individual be
thoroughly dissatisfied with the policy of
the administration. and yet have given no
intimatiOn to that effect in his official cor
respondence.
Although Secretary Olney declines to dis
cuss the matter in any of its phases, other
high officials of the administration have
irsinuated very broadly that Gen Lee viii
not be found. when all the facts are known,
to have been as alert he should have
been in complying with the Instructions
from Washington for the protection Of
American prisoners. 1t is !ntirnated that
Gen. Lee was negligent in his ,iuty in the
early part of the Incarceration of pr. Ruiz
until he learned of the iatter's death, ard
then sought to atone for it Ivy demanding
the release OF all American prisoners on the
island Certain members of the admins
t"ation are now speaking of Gen. Lee as
an emotional and indiscreet man, and are
alleging pOi1tlcai motives for his sudden
outburSt of zeal.
In the same line of talk, it was intimated
that instead of being allowed to resign as
a martyr, that Gen. Lee is more likely to
be recalled for his alleged ill-advised ef-
forts to east discredit upon the admins-
trdtion in it's closing days.
The Administrators Policy.
Inquiry in administrative circles discloses
| the fact that nothing that has occurred in
Ct,I,a
| raised over the reported intention of Consul
General Lee to resign. has in any degree
affected the policy which the administra-
ton has laid down for it's guidance
The officials of the State Department in
sist that their record Is clear upon one
point, viz. the efforts made to extend legal
protection to American citizens in Cuba
The treatment of cases arising frcm the
arrest of such citizens in the course of
hostilities is a most difficult task, and one
requiring a delicate touch to insure that
any claim by the State Department shall
be based upon such a statement of facts
, as will not be subject to impea achment
The officials feel that they have done this
and without losing sight OF the rights of
any American citizen who has been i'm
Irisoned. and they say further that when
the administration OF the affairs of state
passes into other hands. if the law is to
be observed there will be no opportunity
to do more than has already been done
to safeguard our citizens
Where person claiming to be an Amer
ican citize has resided for years in Cuba
and made that mis- place of business,
where he has failed to register at the con-
snlate general, and where there is a rad
ical doubt as to the very fact of his nat
uralzation to begin with, it is plain so
the officials say. that the department
vould make a grievous mistake, and one
that might bear evil fruit for other pris-
oners, by insisting out CT hand, and with
out allowing opportunity to ascertain
the facts. upon the immediate and unconGi-
tional release of the man.
Claim for Sound Diplomacy.
But IN the other cases, where the Amer:-
can citizenship Of the aggrieved person is
beyond question, and where there is not
reasonable doubt either of his completely
in the insurrection OF his having been
captured arms in hand, the department Of
ficials claim that the record will show that
II has acted with every degree of energy
and speed consistent with sound practice
and diplomatic usage.
Touching the statement that comes from
Havana to the effect that relations are
strained over the detention ''incommunica-
do Of the American, Scott, 1t is said that
the man has been placed in communication
with the outside world ipclu5{pp tba III.