Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-27
LEE AND OLNEY.

When doubt was thrown on the asser-
ton of the New York Herald's Habana
correspondent that Consul General Lee
had called for naval support, that cor
respondent emphatically iterated his as
sertion, and said he believed that, II
necessary. he could secure for publica-
ton copy of General Lees telegram
containing the call. The State Depart
ment continued to deny that any such
call had been made. and in its issue
of yesterday the Herald prints what
purports TO be the 'can,' and which
reads:
"Olney. Washington:
'sHave demanded release of Scott,
American citizen. who has been kept in
prison and incommunicado without due
process law eleven days.
Trust you appreciate gravity situation,
and are prepared 10 sustain me-
Must have warship Immediately. How
many ships have you at Tampa. Key
West. and southern waters, and are you
prepared TO send them here. should it be-
come necessary?
81 cannot, and will not, stand another
Ruiz murder. LEE, Habdna.
II this publication is authentic, it, Of
course. settles the warship story and
that it is authentic the Herald's Wash
ington correspondent produces pretty
strong circumstantial evidence to show.
When. says the correspondent he called
at the state Department Thursday, Sec
rstary Olney was mot in" and later
when he went to Mr.. Olney's house with
a copy of the dispatch making the "call,
the Secretary regretted that he could
not see him. The correspondent then
sent TO Mr.. Olney a copy of the CALL
with the request for a statement con-
corning it, and the reply, received
through the Secretary's butler, was that
Mr.. Olney directed the butler TO say
that he (Olney) would say neither yes
nor no, and that he would not discuss
the matter
The same correspondent then says
there.can hardly be any doubt that Sec
Rotary Olney has this and several other
dispatches from General Lee locked up
in his desk, and that he is guarding them
so closely that he has not even referred
them TO the regular files of the depart
ment. Also, that from information he
the correspondent, obtained from the
President ne could but infer that Mr..
Olney had not even communicated the
dispatches to his chief, this information
being stated as follows:
..In answer TO an inquiry made TO the
President through Private Secretary
Thurber, MIR. Cleveland authorized me
10 say that he had not received the re-
sienation of Consul-General Lee; that he
did not expect It, and that, as far as ne
knew, there had been no request from
General Lee for warships
But this is not the only serious charge
the Herald's Washington correspondent
makes against the Secretary Of State. lie
emphasizes what was intimated in as
matches sent out from Washington "eo-
nesday night, that Mr.. Olney never APP
uroyed of the appointment Of General
Lee az Consul-General at Habana, ana
win endeayor to shield the State Depart
ment by creating. II possible. the I'M
preston that the present crisis was
brought about by neglect of duty on the
part OF Lee. Referring to the CORE
spondence that will be sent TO Congress
in answer TO Senator HilPs resolution
the correspondent says he is told that MI
olney has formulated it in such way
as 10 show that If there was any derelic-
ION of duty in regard TO the protection
az DR.. Ruiz, the responsibility lies with
General Lee rather than with the state
Department"
No one who knows General Lee can en-
tertain for moment the belief that such
a charge will lie against him. Further
more. the charge is directly overborne
nv the record, which, according TO the
Heralds summary. is that the Consul
General protested and notified the de-
partment OF the denial OF the right of Dr.
Ruiz to a preliminary examination within
twenty-four hours after his arrest; that
he notified the department OF the Illegal
confinement of DR.. Ruiz incommunicado
more than seventy-two hours; that he
notified the department OF the failure OF
the Spanish authorities to either make the
arrest a commitment or entirely set II
aside within sevcnty-two hours. and that
Secretary Olney took no effective action
AS our representative at Habana, Gene
raj Lee has proved exceedingly conserya-