The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-24
NEWSPAPER FAKES"
No Truth i'm the Report that Consul
General Lee Has Resigned.

WASHINGTON. Feb. %. - Some or the
New York newspapers, said friend
of the administration this afternoon.
are trying to outdo each other IN
"yaller" Journalism. and the conse-
quence Is flood of fake stories
in regard TO public men and measures. The
other day the Journal. millionaire Hearsts
paper, printed story about John sherman
which the senator characterized as lie
To-day the Herald. which seems bent on
forcing Uncle Sam 10 send his navy 10
Havana for the purpose Of wiping out the
Spaniards, prints the following under
Havana date:
Consul General Lee has resigned His
letter rendering his resignation under GER
tain conditions goes by the next mail. lie
determined some days ago TO take such
a step if he We're not upheld In MS eI-
forts 10 protect all American citizens In
Cuba. The consul general asked the state
Department that he be authorized TO de-
mand the release of citizens OF the United
States confined in Cuban prisons under
the same illegal circumstances as was
the Inflated Ruiz. Such authorization mas
not been granted him. Spanish war ships
in Cuban waters have since yesterday been
concentrating in the harbor of Havana
This is regarded here as very signincant
in view of the important INCIDENTS Oh the
last few days.
Great pressure is being brought to bear
here TO make Consul General Lee deny
effect that the diplomatic representative
of the United States in Havana had asked
the government TO send war ships to Gu
ban waters. AS preteXt for Such de-
NAL. and as a basis upon which IL can
be founded. it is stated that, according
TO the dispatch. Consul General Lee had
asked for a war ship to take him to the
United States. What the consul general did
do, can reiteratc on the highest authority.
was TO ask for war ships TO support him in
his efforts 10 protect Americans in peril
of their lives and American interests. which
were in jeopardy. The Heralds Jackson
vile dispatch, therefore, was absolutely
correct, and upon indiSputdble authority
1 can confirm ii i'm every detail II neces-
sary, further, l am confident / can secure
end send to the Herald the full official tee-
gram in which Consul General Lee asked
for war ships"
Following the above is a dispatch from
the Washington correspondent Of the Her.
aid. 1t reads:
THE resignation of Consul General Lee
precipitates dramatic climax to the ad-
ministration's policy, which has caused con-
sternation among the officials here.
Whether from diplomatic reasons or be
cause of an idea entertained that General
Lee may be induced to reconsider his ac-
tion. administration officials still persist
in denying that he asked for war vessels
to back up his demands in Cuba; that
he has asked for instructions 10 demand
| the immediate release of American pris-
| oners, and that he has resigned because
| of n refusal on the part of the admins
| tration TO grant his requests
When the attention of State Department
| officials was called to the above dispatches
| they at once said there was no truth in
| the statements. 1t was asserted that Con-
| sui General Lee had neither resigned nor
| threatened to resign, and that there was
no basis for the story that he had asked
for war ships. Later i'm the day a dispatch
was received from Havana stating thar
| Fitzhugh Lee himself had killed the resig-
| nation fake by giving a signed state
| me1t TO the American correspondents there
| in which he said he had rot resigned
| When correspondent visited the White
| House to secure Il confirmation or denial OF
| the Fitzhugh Lee report Mr.. Thurber. sec
| retary TO the President. stated positively
| that there was not a scintlla of truth in the
| story either as to the resignation or the
| call for war shin.