The evening times., 1898-08-25

The Presidents magnanimous offer to
Spain through the good offices Of the
British ambassador at Madrid In the first
week of August, just after the initiation
of peace negotiations. to release all the
Spanish naval prisoners on parole for
prompt repatriation. which was declined
by Premier Sagasta at the time. has
been the indirect result of alternating
most of the ordinary prisoners. as well
as many of the officers. from their
mother country. The Navy Department
the comparatively luxurious treatment
1t has accorded these men and put them
to work. There are I.6O prisoners at
Seavey Island. In the Kittery CMe.) navy
yard, including nearly all the ordinary
seamen and petty officers who were saw
ed when Cervera's fleet was annihilated.
At the naval hospital near Norfolk. Va,
the seriously wounded. two hundred in
number. have been under treatment,
and most of them have now convalesced.
The principal officers. numbering fifty
three. have been quartered in Annapolis
In buildings which will be needed in a
few weeks for the officers and professors
attached to The Naval Academy.
The men at Norfolk are a great burden
upon the naval medical authorities. but
the navy is principally concerned regard
Ing the large force Of men at Seavey ISL
and. They are quartered in comfortable
but temporary wooden structures which
do very we'll for summer. but which will
cause great suffering soon on account of
the approaching cold weather. to which
the Spaniards are wholly unaccustomed.
Some of the Spanish officers have writ
ten home that they hope the war will
continue another year. in order that they
may continue to enjoy tbs treatment
they have been receiving. but others.
notably Capt. Concas. who has been in
this country longer than any Of his col
leagues. have receGtly caused consider
able pressure from various sources,
chiefly political, to be brought to bear on
the Navy Department to consent to the
return of the officers to Spain.
Naval officials make no conceaiment OF
their anxiety to get rid Of Capt. Concas
and all the other officers at Annapolis
and Norfolk. who are now on limited pa
role but there is no intention to release
the officers until Spain makes some pro-
vision for the ordinary seamen. Spain S
reply to the Presidents original offer to
surrender all the prisoners on parole was
as follows:
Owing to the existence of Spanish law
to the effect that any Spanish sailor ac-
| cepring a parole in onder to procure his
release is liable to punishment. the gov
| ernmen1 Is unable to act upon the sugges-
| ton of the United States and remove ths
| prisoners captured by the destruction oi
| Admiral Cerveras fleet to Spain"
It is the impression in the Navy De
partment. as Spain is so much more par
| tfcular about prohibiting ordinary sea
| men to accept parole than she Is In ths
case of their superior officers. that some
ultefior motive mus; be at the bottom ot
| the matter. and that possibly II her ON
| GERS were returned home the Spanish
| government wroufd rake no further inter
| est in the sailors. but leave them as pau
pers dependent upon the charity of thi:
| country. 1t is certain, therefore. that thu
| officers will remain under restraint a:
| long as the men are confined. and II SpaiI
! continues to be Indifferent u Is possible
| that some of the luxuries WILL be fakeI
| from the officers and that they Will b'
\ made to feel In a measure that they ar
in fact prisoners of war.