Omaha daily bee., 1897-06-21
LEE NAILS A LIE
Denies that He's Grooming Himself for
Governor of Virginia.
SAYS REPORT IS A PURE FABRICATION
Not Using His Office as Consul for Political
Purposes,
DETERMINATION IS AN APPALLING FACT
Death Rate, Thanks to General Weyler, is
Rapidly Increasing.
TERMINATION IS AN APPALLING FACT
SOLDIERS ARE SUFFERING WITH FEVER
Truchn is n pcstiIcntini Ditch and
Rains Make Qungmirc OF the
Soil il-Iusurgcnts Close
In ON Havana.

Copyright 1897. by Press Publishing Company
HAVANA, June 20-(New York World Ca
blegram-Special Tclegram)-l saw Consul
General Lee today in reference to the New
York Heralds Washington dispatch iusinuat-
ing that the Ruiz report a move on
the part OF General Lee toward securing the
governorship Of Virginia
General Lee said 81 have always tried
to do my duty conscientiously. The corre-
spondeut shows gross ignorance in assuming
that / am using my Office to play Virginia
politics. l have not taken and never would
take any such part, No one was more sur
prised than at the publication of the Ruiz
report before it reached the State depart
ment, and no one was less connected with
such publication"
AS General Lee has already been governor
of Virginia for four years and has invari-
ably declined to accept denomination, the
story does him great injustice in charg-
ing him with being guilty of playing with.
the national safety to secure his own selfish
interest The difficult duties Of his office
have been discharged fearlessly in the face
of great opposition by the Spanish officials
and a bitter feeling frequently displayed
by the American people They should be
proud of the stand he has taken in behalf
of American citizens. Only those who are
here can realize the obstacles he has had
to encounter To assail him at such time
does incalculable harm. The Spanish papers
have copied the Herald story extensively,
making it appear that the American people
have no faith in General Lee. The nation
must uphold him strenuously, remembering
that he is holding the office only to oblige
President Mckinley during trying period.
DIFFERENTIATION A FACT.
determination on the island is an appall
M to mi ifIl lu
increasing. A prominent Spanish medical
officer, who has full knowledge of the nte-
| rior, said to me yesterday, that should the
| war be prolonged fifteen months, the western
| half of the island will be entirely depopu-
| lated. The death rate is likely to double
| next month Contagion Will then NOW the
| people down rapidly. The rains have turned
| the interior into quagmires in many places
! The trocha is a pestlential ditch. The SOL
diers are suffering terribly from fever and
| dysentery. Little of the small pox vaccina-
tion is effective. With foresight thousands
of paciicos might easily have been saved by
vaccination.
| sangunary engagement occurred
| Wednesday at Managua, fifteen miles from
! Havana. The insurgents attacked a column
of Spanish, and the latter lost heavily. Tho
details were suppressed here. Many ambu-
| lances with wounded arrived yesterday.
The rebels are certainly concentrating
around Havana. Trains have been fired into
repeatedly. A Spanish force, while recon-
| nOlterlnB, was amDuShed near San Miguel.
They fought bravely, but were compelled to
| retire.
| General Rivera is sick, and appears to be
| indifferent ae to his fate. He will assuredly
| be shot unless strong action is taken by the
United States.
The relief of American citizens proceeds
| smoothly. but the means are a mere drop
in bucket Though the war should end
| tomorrow, thousands must perish before
sufficient food and shelter could be pre-
pared. CLARK MUSGRAVE
LONDON, June 2l.--The Washington corrc-
spondent of the Daily Chronicle reiterates his
previous statement as to alleged Instructions
given by President Mckinley to General
| Woodford, minister of the United States to
Spain, and adds
Spain will be permitted to exercise merely
tituar sovereignty over Cuba. She will be
compelled to withdraw her troops and to per-
! nit the Cubans to make their own laws; to
| raise their own revenue and to control their
own expenditures President Mckinley be-
leves that Cuba must ultimately be annexed
| to the United States. The withdrawal of the
Spanish troops will lead to a repetition of
the Hawaiian incident" a."