New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-12
ARE THEY AT ODDS ON CUBA?
BETWEEN THE PRESI-
DENT AND MIR. OLNEY REPORTED.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID TO FAVOR A
MUCH MORE VIGOROUS POLICY THAN THAT
OF HIS CHIEF-rHE PRESIDENT ALONE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROFFER
OF GUARANTEES" TO SPAIN
lpy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIsuHE1
Washington. Jan 1.-THE friends OF Secre-
tary Oney are beginning to realize that the at
titude Of the Administrations toward Cuba Is not
being Viewed by the country at large with that
tumultuous approval which they expected would
greet the formal announcement of policy Of In
reference through guarantees" They are
looking about. therefore, FOR means to clear their
idol OF the imputaton that he should have been
the inventor and patentee OF 80 obviously rIdicu-
lous a plan as that involved In the proposition
that the United States become The surety for the
faithful execution on me part of Spain of reform
promises forced from that proud and unfortunate
country in an hour OF dire disaster and they have
about reached the conclusion that President
Cleveland Is solely responsible for making so ex-
traordinary not to say Quixotic. proposition
Without entering into the merits Of the discus
sion over the authorship OF remarkable
propostion--a parallel to which. by-the-way, II
would be difficult TO find in the annals Of Ameri-
can dplomacy-it may be said that the dsclos-
ures made By Senator elect Money. Of Mississippi.
regarding the attitude and opinions Of Consul
General Lee on the Cuban difficulty have imbued
the friends OF Secretary Olney with a fresh de-
termination that he shall not be sadded with
the charge OF having originated the plan Of en-
,angng guarantees.
They boldly assert that the message sent tn
Congress last month was not only not consistent
with. but in direct opposition to- the reports
verhal and in writing made by General Lee after
his return 10 Havana. The President, they say
accepted only such OF General Lees representa-
tons az suited slightly enlarged edition or my
policy" and ignored altogether the more I'M
portant points Soon after General Lees ar
rival In this country. 1t Is said. the impression
got abroad that his report would snow state oi
affairs In Cuba which would excite the lhu'sna-
ton ~ IN. people OF the United States. The in
dignation was not reused. however although the
material to do so is now said to have been at
hand: only Mr.. Cleveland suppressed IT, rearing
no doubt. that il might endangcr my policy.
But Mr. Olney's friends go further still. Ihey
decIara that months ago General Lee told the
president that the rebellion could not possibly
he put down They also whisper mysterlouSiy
that Mr. Oney wanted 10 adopt very diHereNt
policy from that adhered to by Mr.. Cleveland.
and that II he could have his way now. my
policy would be instantly changed to one OF the
utmost vigor and firmncss
The most interesting statement MADE, now
oyer IS that General Lee was hurried back to
Cuba to prevent his being called before the Sen
ate Committee on Foreign Relations 1T Is as
serted that Mr. Cleveland had reasons to believe
that the committee intended to summon General
zee before them, and that thereupon ne fastened
his departure for Cuba. This prevented some IN
teresting information from passing into the pos
session of the Committee on Foreign Relations.
No doubt II did.
Here however. Is Mr. Ceveland's weight. ac-
cordjng TO Mr. Olney's friends. holding down the
valves ard refusing TO permit the steam To es-
cane Under ordinary circumstances an eXplo-
sion might he expected 10 follow. and Mr.. Oney.
indeed Is pictured by his friends as "chafing"
under the restraint and becoming FESTIVE" Mr..
Cleveland however. has way Of successfully
defync the laws Of nature. In his case light
ming struck the same spot twice: why shouldn't
he ignore the steam gauges and succeed in in
definitely postponing an explosion In the State
Department?