The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-15
MESSAGE NOT In. SIGHT.
CUBAN MATTER DELAYED UNTL.
REPORTS ARE RECEIVED.
Lee and Calhoun Asked For Information By
Cable-Cabinet Meeting.

Washington. Nay l5.-Pres!dent Nc
Kinley Is a conservative and not jingo
on the Cuban as on every other foreign
question. and the Cuban jingoes are
naturally expressing disappointment be-
cause they have not been able to stam-
pede him into hasty action, which could
be construed as indicating an intention
TO range the government on the side Of
che Cuban insurgents.
Because President Mckinley left for
Philadelphia after q cabinet meeting
yesterday without having written line
of the special message on Cuba which
they said he was writing, and would send
to the senate on Monday, containing
startling expose OF the condition of
affairs in Cuba. and incidentally asking
an appropriation Of from 50000 to $780,
900 with which to send food and medi-
cines TO destitute American citizens in
Cuba, preferring TO wait for fuller and
more definite information before act
ing, they are beginning to talk as Bit
tsrly against him as they did against
President Cleveland.
The cabinet meeting was devoted al
most entirely to the consideration OF the
Cuban situation. The discussion was
upon the advisability OF asking congress
to provide immediate relief to the Amer
leans who are, according to the reports
received from Consul General Lee.
penned up in the cities and in actual dan
ger of starving to death. 1t had no bear
Ing upon the policy of the administra-
ton toward Spain or the Cuban insur-
gents, except incidentally. but dealt
with the direct and immediate question
OF relieving destitute Americans on the
island.
Every phase Of the matter was dis
cussed. the advisability Of asking con-
gress for an appropriation, Spain's at
titude. the methods for distributing re-
lief II 1t should be decided to enter upon
it. the necessity or advisa bility OF having
q warship accompany food supplies. But
the final decision Of the question was
postponed until Consul General Lee and
other American consuls In Cuba, and
probably Mr.. Calhoun, make their re-
ports by cable to the department. They
have been requested to cable the latest
facts as to the existing situation. These
reports Will be here probably when the
president and the cabinet return from
Philadelphia tonight, and IL 1t is de-
cided to send a special message to con
gress next week they, with the other
facts in the possession Of the state de-
psrtment. will be made the basis for a
request to congress. 1t seems extremely
probable now that such a message will
be sent to congress. but hardly before
Tuesday. as there would be no time to
prepare a message before &hat day un-
less Mr.. Mckinley deyotes Sunday to
the task.
The Spanish minister, Dupuy de LONE.
called at the state department and con-
ferred for over an hour with Assistant
Secretary Day relative to the reported
intention Of this government to send re-
lief to American sufferers in Cuba No
objection was made in behalf Of the
Spanish government to the supply of
food, medicine and clothing to the dis
tressed Americans in Cuba, but il was
clearly understood that the relief is to
be extended only TO American citizens
through agencies not yet decided upon.
The Spanish authorities have not re-
corded any objection on their part to a
general distribution, provided this is not
carried to the extent of provisioning the
insurgent forces in their resistance to
Spain. On this point it can be stated
positively that II is the present idea of
filed all of it's proper functions when II
has cared for its own citizens. Attention
was called by the Spanish minister to
the fact that the Red Cross had been
given full permission TO operate in Cuba,
and that in the distribution of it's chari-
table Offices the society makes no dis
tinction in nationalities, so that the dis
tressed Spaniard. Cuban or American
might with equal right claim It's bounty.
The manner OF sending relief to Cuba,
II 1t shall be decided upon by the presi-
dent and ngress, has been discussed
among officials. and in some quarters 1t
is felt that the dispatch Of a vessel would
be inadvisable. IT is said that the quick
est and surest way would be to send re-
lief by the ordinary freight routes. which
have facilities for reaching the various
ports and interior points Of Cuba. The
centers of suffering are widely separ-
ated, so that a relief vessel TO any one
part would encounter many delays and
difficulties in giving speedy relief to the
people needing It.
The fact that the senate was not I'm
session, and that comparatively few
senators were at the capital, had
Quieting effect upon the situation in re-
gard to Cuban affairs. There was still.
however, much interest in the course
that the matter may take on Monday.
Senator Morgan says that the message
OF the president, IL IL should apply only
to relief measures in the way Of food
and clothing, would not cause him to
dcviate from his purpose OF pressing his
resolution for the recognition OF a state
Oi war, as he had given notice he would
do before II was assumed that fhs r,rost
dent wonld send in such q message.