The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-15

luS O Tile CdDlIlGI IO0dy Was Q6VOI6U
almost entirely to the consideration of
the Cuban situation. The meeting oc-
CURED an hour earlier than usual, ow-
ing to the Importance Of the question
to be discussed, and the fact that the
president and the cabinet were to leave
for Philadelphia at 1915 The discus
sion was upon the advisability Of ask
ing congress to provide immediate re.
lief to the Americans who are, accord
ing to the reports received from Con-
sui General Lee, penned up in the cities
and in actual danger Of starvation. 1t
had no bearing upon the policy Of the
administration toward Spain or the
Cuban insurgents, except indirectly
Secretary Sherman laid befor the cabi-
net some Of the most important docu-
memts in the state department about
the situation, and before the meeting
was over, Judge Day, the assistant
secretary Of state, personally took to
the White house some additional pa
pers, for which the secretary had sent.
Every phase of the matter was dis
cussed; the advisability Of asking con-
gress for an appropriation; Spain's at
titude; the methods of distributing re-
lief, If 1t should be desired to enter
upon 1t, and the necessity or advisa-
bility of having war ship accompany
food supplies, but the final decision Of
the question was postponed until Con-
sui General Lee and other American
consuls in Cuba, and probably Mr.. Cal.
houn, make their reports by cable to
quested to cable the latest facts as to
the existing situation. These reports
will be here probably when the presi-
dent and the cabinet returns, tomorrow
night, and, If 1t is decided to send
special message to congress early next
week, they, with the other facts, in
the possession Of the state department,
will be made the basis Of the request
to congress.
It seems extremely probable now that
such message will be sent to con-
there would be no time to prepare a
message before that day, unless Mr..
Mckinley devoted Sunday to the task
The Spanish minister, Dupuy de
Le-me, called at the state department
shortly before noon today and conferred
for some time with Assistant Secretary
Day relative to the reported intention
of this government to send relief to
American sufferers In Cuba. The m MS
ter gave assurance that the Spanish
government would be in sympathy with
any benevolent movement. and would
lend every assistance to it. 1t was,
recalled by the minister that four
nc nths ago, he had written to the ofii-
GERS of the Red Cross society, giving,
in behalf Of his government, full au-
thority for extending aid to the suf-
ferers in Cuba. Since then however,
no steps toward relief have been taken
The Spanish minister does not question
the existence Of misery and suffering IN
the island, but declares that 1t is such
only as accompanies insurrection and
war, heightened in this case by the
diseases peculiar to low tropical coun-
tries. 1t is stated that these condi-
tions have existed for months and have
been well-known. AS to the severity of
the suffering, 1t is said that it consists
mainly in the lack Of adequate food
medicine and nursing, for the sick and
destitute. The statements that people
are dying in the streets are not admit
ted at the legation, but are discredited,
and, as to the Americans, 1t is said that
there are a number Of well-to-do Ameri-
cans in Cuba, who would relieve any
extreme distress on the part Of their
fellow-countrymen.
The manner of sending relief to Cuba,
If 1t shall be decided upon by the presi-
dent and congress has been discussed
among officials, and in some quarters
it Is felt that the dispatch of a vessel
would be inadvisable. It is said that
the quickest and surest way would be
to send relief by the ordinary freight
routes, which have facilities for reach
ing the various ports and interior points
in Cuba. The centers Of suffering are
widely separated. so that relief ves-
sci to any one port would encounter
many delays and difficulties in giving
speedy relief to the people needing 1t.
The conference between Assistant
Secretary Day and Senor Dupuy de
LONE lasted for over an hour and was
confined entirely to discussion OF
the extension Of relief measures. No
objection was made in behalf Of the
Spanish, government to the supply OF
food. medicine and clothing to the dis
tressed Americans in Cuba, but 1t was
clearly understood that the relief Is
to be extended only. to American citi-
zens through agencies not yet decided
upon. The Spanish authorities have
not recorded any objection on their
part to a general distribution, provid-
ed this is not carried to the extent Of
provisioning the 1nsurgent forces in
their resistance to Spain. On this point
1t can be stated positively that it is
the present idea Of the administration
that 1t will have fulfilled all its proper
functions when it has cared for it's own
citizens.
The fact that the senate was not L.
session today, and that comparatively
few senators were at the capitol, had
q quieting effect upon the situation in
regard to Cuban affairs. There was
still, however much interest in the
course that the matter may take on
Monday Senator Morgan said today
that the message of the president, if
it should apply only to relief measures
In the way Of food and clothing, would
not cause him to deviate from his pur-
pose of pressing his resolution for the
recognition Of a state Of war, as he
had given notice he would do before
it was assumed that the president
would send in such message.
The friends of the Morgan resolu-
tion will not antagonize measures con-
templating temporary relief, but they
are not disposed to accept such meas
ures in place Of more general and
far-reaching declaration. The opposi-
tion also probably will acquiesce in a
resolution appropriating money to re-
lieve immediate wants. Senator Hale,
who Is generally recognized the
leader Of the opposition to allmeas-
ures looking to general declaration