Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-01
LEE IN AN UNCERTAIN POSITION
Not suuported from Washington ana
Inuubcd nj in Havana.

Not supported from Washington ana
Laughed at in Havana.
Copyright, 1897 by Press Publishing ConnPatS''
HAVANA, Cuba, Wia Key west fla)
Feb. 2S.-(New York World Cablesram-Spe-
cial Telegram)-No word from Washington
vet. General Lee is still waiting to know
whether or not Secretary of State Olney will
sustain him in trying to protect the hVes
and liberty of American citizens in Cuba.
He has waited one week Secretary Olney
remains silent George Scott has been put
out of 'incommunicado," but has not been
released.
Mr.. Olney is truthful when he says that
General Lee has not resigned. But tnai
Is only half the truth. General Lee capied
February 20 that he had demanded the re-
lease of Scott, an American citizen. illegally
kept 'incommunicado'' eleven days lie
hoped Mr.. Olney would appreciate the
emergency and get ready to send him war
ships promptly If they should be needed
He asked how many gunboats there were
along the Florida coast and II Secretary
Olney wculd sustain him; for he added, he
could not and would not stand another
Ruiz murder. To General Lees amazement,
Mr. Olney replied that the consul general
appeared to have exceeded his authority;
even were there not some doubt about Ruiz S
citizenship 1t would have been better to
have consulted the State department an:
asked instructions before making any de-
maud This eXasperated General Lee. 1t
was uuibbling when another American life
was in danger General Lee had been to see
DR. Ruiz's bruised and beaten corpse and
Scott's wife was pleading for the protection
of her husband who was in the same kind
of dark cell where he had been kept SO long.
General Lee cabled to Secretary Olney that
Ruiz was American and had been MUIR
dered; that he had demanded Scotts re-
lease. and if he was not sustained he would
leave the island. Still Mr.. Oney qulbh'ed
He wanted proof of Ruizs citizenship. He
lectured General Lee for daring to make
n demand without instructions. Not wore
was said about sustaining MN
RRJNGs SCOTT A CHANGE OF CELLS
Once more General Leea'asked Secretar!
Olnev IL he was toi be supported in prevent
lug the keeping of American prisoners in
cotamuncado longer than the seventy-twt
hours stipulated in the treaty, adding again
that If he was not to be supported, he woult
return home He told Mr. Olney that eve
since he has been here the Spanish authorize
have ignored the treaty in this respect
that every American prisoner has been KEEP
in dark cell 'lncommunlcado" from ten L
fourteen days, instead Jr three that he ha
protested. and protested IN vain, that it hd
eliminated In the death of Ruiz, and Scot
may be killed The general reiterated tina
he, would stand it no longer. The Stat
department must support him or he wou
quit Havana. Then Scott was allowed to sc
his friends His release should have bee
obtained. and General Lee would have de
manded 1t with fleet, on account OF tn
prisoners Illegal treatment and suffering, bl
II was evident that President Cleveland wOul
not stand by him, and Scott simply got
change of cell. He is accused Of hayin
had Cuban postage stamps in his collection,
General Lee will not be interviewed, bu
It is evident that he Is disgusted with tn
cowardice, treachery and quibbline of tn
State department. Mr.. olney is said t
blame General Lee for making such fus
just as the administration was going ou
and Mr.. Cleveland, in an unsigned dlspatc
to General Lee. is said 10 have reproache
him for not waiting longer. If they had ha
the murder OF DR., Ruiz postponed, Generi
Lee might have done so.
II mas been the most humiliating eXhib
tion of an administrations weakness and RI
fusal to protect American citizens In hi!
tory No amount of statements from NJ
Oney can lessen the guilt. | have given tn
facts Just as they came out. When congres
asks for and gets the dispatches of the lai
few days, John Sherman will not be alb
to sit still while he reads General Lee
cable dispatch TO Secretary olney of a wee
ago Saturday. The country will hear NJ
Olney's reply with shame.
sPANIARDs ENJOY THEIR TRTUMPF
Mr.. Oney has left the question wors
than open. The State department code
known at the palace. The Spanish author
ties are fully aware that General Lee is NJ
sustained in his claim that they have II
right 10 ana must not keep an America
prisoner shut up In a solitary dark ce
longer than three days. They also know h
is not sustained in his contention that Il
one shall be searched on an American vel
sci in this harbor The next American the
arrest they will keep "incommunicado"
long as they choose, and they will scare
any one aboard any American vessel II the
choose They say so. They laugh at Gel
eral Lee now and Mr.. olney is directly r.
sponsible for this Degradation of America
honor, and for thc-1ex posure OF American
entitled to government protection, unle
John Sherman changes this policy Gener
Lee viii resign the first time any Americl
Is illegally imprisoned in dark cell.
Mr.. Olney s now trying hard TO nal
General Lee believe that the murdered L
Rulg had forfeited his citizenship. Gener
Lee refused to admit thie because DR., Ru
could not have done so, His papers al
records prove unqufstlonably that he was
American citizen. The Spanish acknowlsdg
l..