The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-09
MUCH WORRY.
Difficulty OF Spanish Min
iSter'S Position.
Enrique Dupuy de LONE Is a
Statesman Of Ability.
His Fine Compliment Did Not Bring
the Desired Results.

WASHINGTON, June 9-[Special. l-Eu
rique Dupuy de LONE, the Spanish min
itser, cannot be said to be "a popular man in
Washington social circles, but there is here
a great deal of respect for him. Since he
became the representative OF his govern
ment at Washington he has had u most
difficult role TO play. Public opinion In
this country has all the time been inimicai
TO Spain, and in congress constant efforts
have been made TO provoke quarrel be
tween the two nations. The minister has
met all these things with the calmness and
dignity of trained diplomatist He ha.
even succeeded In creating small but &C
tive pro-Spanish party here. He did not
lack for spokesman in the senate when
the resolution recognizing the belligerency
of Cuba was under consideration. Under
the former administration Mr.. DE LONE
was more successful than he has been with
this one. In President Cleveland and Secre
tary Olney he found a conservative spirit
which aided him greatly in preserving the
peaceful relations of the two countries.
A Hard job.
AT times the Spanish minister has been
sadly perplexed by the difficulties OF his
position. Now and then he has been i'll
tween public opinion, the dreadful Ameri
can newspapers congress, the filibusters
and his own government at Madrid, which
was inclined TO look for achievement OF
the impossible, Mr.. De Lome has had
merry time Of it. A year or two ago at
Madrid they had the idea that If there was
an outbreak of Cuban sympathy In this
country il must be through the negligence
of their minister. All they knew was that
they had sent him here for the purpose OF
keeping the Yankees I'm check, that they
supplied him with ample funds, and they
naturally were inclined To hold him re
sponsible for anything that might happen
Sonora De LONE once said to one of hei
social friends:
1T is all very well for your people t.
talk about recognizing the belligerency OF
the independence Of Cuba. But what dc
you suppose they would do with my poor
Enrique when they got him back In Spaini
They would hang him."
But matters are not as bad as that now.
The Spanish havo finally learned that pub
lie opinion on this side the water Is not &c
be controlled by court or diplomacy. Min
lister de LONE has done the best he could.
as well as any one could have done under
such discouraging circumstances. There
Is a great deal of admiration here for tht
manner in which the minister has carried
himself
DE Lome's Career.
Enrique Dupuy do Lomo is what ma
be called a professional diplomatist In
Europe they train men for this service,
while In this country we pick them up, as
a rule, at haphazard through political con
siderations The Spandei minister is As
years old. He was educated at the cele
brated University of Barcelona. He studied
law and was admitted TO practice, but
then entered upon diplomatic career.
After several years In the department. OF
state at Madrid he became third secretary
For two years he was in the Spanish lega
tion in Japan. Then he was sent TO Brus
sells. In 1880 he was sent as first secretary
to Buenos Ayres, and in 1889 he became
first secretary at Washington. He after.
ward served at Berlin. In 1893 he was the
Spanish commissioners at the Worlds faii
in Chicago, and was afterward appointed
minister TO Washington by Canovas, the
present premier. II will thus be seen that
Mr. de LONE has had thorough training
and that he is cosmopolitan. He speaks
six or seven languages, and Is man OF
great shrewdnoss and ability. He is ap
proachable and affable, but an intense
Spaniard and royalist. He has family
of boys and girls.
His First Recognition.
An Ohio man was at the White House
the other day looking for an office. While
waiting in the antcroom for an audienc.
with the president he became communica
tive to the newspaper men standing about
He told how well he had known all th
Kinley Finally no asked II any one pres.
ent could tell when and by whom Presi
dent Mckinley received his first public
recognition No one could tell, and the
office seeker had to answer the question
himself, which was just what he wanted
He pulled from his pocket well worn
memorandum book and said:
"Here, sir, is the first public recognition
given William Mckinley. It Is from the
diary of General Rutherford b. Hayes,
kept while he was at the head of the Ohio
troops in Virginia. Let me read from it:
Z" Our new second lieutenant, Mckin-
ley, reported today-an exceedingly bright,
intelligent and gentemanly young officer
He promises to be one of the best.
"That, sir, Is what Rutherford B. Hayes
wrote of william Mckinley Dec. 13, 1862.
'One of the best, that's just what he is,
whether as private soldier, second lieuten-
ant or commander In chief of the army
and the navy"
Notwithstanding all this the Ohio man
did not get the Office he was looking for.
An esteemed western senator was talk
ing about possible war with Spain the
other day and praisng the American
navy. "why, sir, said he proudly, I'VE
have great battlcships, immense floating
fortressos, armed with the most powerful
guns, that can sail at least 10 fathoms an
hour"
Librarian Spofford has great task on
his hands. AS soon as congress adjourns
he Is TO move the library of congress TO
the new building There are, according
To the latest reports, 7lS, 10 volumes In
this library, besides 245,0 pamphlets
and vast number Of pictures 1t will
tala 40 davs to nn ke the removal with as