Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-10-28
MINISTER wOODFORD HAS CABLED
IT TO WASHINGTON.
NOTE NOT YET MADE PUBLIC.
WILL be HELD UNTH. CONSIDERED
BY THE PRESIDENT.
Contains Nothing Tint Can he Taken
ns Offensive No Action Until
Congress Assemblies - Au-
thentic Details of Pro-
posed Autonomy.

Washington. Oct 27.-The event of the
day at the state department was the re-
ceipt of the long expected cab'cSram from
United States Minister Woodford, at Mad
rid transmitting the answer of the Spanish
government to his representations in the in
terests of peace in Cuba. This message be-
gan to come in installments at o'clock
last night, and it was nearly noon to-day
before it was all in hand at the state de-
partment. 1t was not the length of the
message that occupied the wires all of that
time but the fact that it was all in groups
of figures and that it was probably being
filed in small patches as it was turned into
the complicated state department cipher In
Madrid All of this work had to be undone
at the state department, and the message
translated from the cipher back again INTO
good English. This occupied nearly all OF
the day, so that it was $3.50 o'clock before
the first fair copy of the message was
turned out. 1t was not long. In fact. there
| were a little less than LOCO words in the
| message, for Mr.. Woodford. instead of
| cabling the of the Spanish answer to
| his note had contented himself with re-
ducing the matter to a brief outline.
The first copy was taken at once to the
president, not being intrusted to mes
! senger, but being delivered by Chief Clerk
| Michaels in person at the White House.
AFTER que opportunity ntu Decu diloNSu tHc
| president to read the message. an applica-
! ton was made for statement of its con-
| tents or nature This was declined by Sec
| retary Porter. and it was said that under no
| circumstances would the correspondence be
| made public before consideration of the
| cabinet
| From unofficial Information that had
reached certain administration officials IN
| advance of this message Of Mr.. Woodford' $
l ,x.el, rnN1,r II
\ is evident that in neither language nor sub
| ject matter is the communication likely to
be taken rs offensive by our government.
L: may be, it is true, regarded as INSULT
| cient to meet the issue presented by Mr.
| Woodford in his note, but officials of the
| state department say that, in view of what
| has already been accomplished by the new
Spanish cabinet in reforming abuses in
Cuba, in removing Weyler and in projecting
| what appears to be liberal measure of
autonomy, our government will certainly
rest, at least until congress assemblies, and
| afford the new Spanish government rea-
| scnable time to carry out its plans.
| The Spanish minister, Senor Dupuy De
| LONE, consented for the first time to-day,
l to speak concerning the policy of autonomy
| which the Spanish government proposes to
apply to Cuba. This has been referred to in
| general terms since the advent of the Sa-
| gasta ministry, but there has been lack OF
authentic details. Before leaving for New
York to-day, where the minister and his
family will spend several weeks. Senor Du-
puy DeLome gave the evolutions through
which autonomy has passed, leading up
to the present policy. and the general out
line Of the policy itself.
Under this policy, as applied to Cuba, the
island will have 4 system on the lines OF
| that of Canada, or of the American states,
maintaining its individuality on all internal
affairs, and yet retaining its place as u part
of the federal system. 1t will have a vice
roy or govern or general, as Is always the
case in the maintenance of a colonial sys-
| tenn, such as that of Australia, New Zea-
land or Canada. The island will have its
| own legislature, chosen directly by the
people, who will enjoy universal suffrage
From the majority in the legislature. the
governor general will choose his ministry
consisting of a president of the ministry
and four ministers. namely: Minister of the
interior, minister of public works. minister
of public instruction and minister OF
finance. At the same time Cuba will have
representation in the Spanish cortes, as well
as her local legislature. The representatives
to the cortes will also be elected by the
people of Cuba, through universal suffrage
and will not be selected by the ministry as
has been erroneously stated. The ministry
not to the governor general. The subjects
taxation, tariff, public instruction and al
the island, in the broadest sense of thi.
| torn