The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-26
SPANlARDS A BURDEN
ADMIRAL CERVERA'S CAPTURED
SAILORS MAY BE PUT TO WORK.
Sagasta Seemingly Indifferent to
Desire to Transport Them Home.

NEW YORK, Aug. Pa special to the
Tribune from Washington says: THE
Presidents magnanimous offer to Spain
through the good offices of the British am
bassador at Madrid, in the first week of
August, just after the initiation of peace
negotiations, to release all the Spanish nav
al prisoners an parole for prompt reps tria-
ton, which was declined by Premier Sa-
gasta at the time, has had the indirect re-
suit of alternating most of the ordinary priS-
oners as we'll as many of the officers, from
their mother country. The Navy Depart
ment may eventually be &C rnpelled to ADAM
don the comparatively luxurious treatment
1t has accorded these men and put them 10
work. There are sixteen hundred prisoners
at Seavey island and in the Kittery (Me)
navy yard, including nearly all the ordi-
nary seamen and petty officers who were
saved when Cervera's fleet was annihilated.
At the naval hospital near Norfolk. Va.
the seriously wounded, two hundred in num-
Der, have been under treatment and most
of them have now convalesced. The princi-
pal 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 Ma
val Academy.
on the naval medical authorities. but the
navy is principally concerned regarding the
large force of men at Seavey island. They
are quartered in comfortable but temporary
wooden structures which do very we'll for
summer, but which will cause great suffer-
ing soon on account of the approaching cold
weather, to which the Spaniards are wholly
unaccustomed. Some of the Spanish Off
GERS have written home that they hope the
war will continue another year in order
that they may continue to enjoy the treat
ment they have been receiving, but others,
notably Captain Concas, have recently
caused considerable 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 concealment of
their anxiety to get rid of Captain ConcaS
and all the other officers at Annapolis and
Norfolk who are now on limited parole, but
there is no intention to release the officers
until Spain makes some provision for the
ordinary Seamen. SPANS reply to the Pres
idents original offer to surrender all the
prisoners on parole was as follows: Owing
to the existence of a Spanish law to the
effect that any Spanish sailor accepting
parole in order to procure his release is
liable to punishment, the government is un-
able to act on the suggestion of the United
States and remove the prisoners captured
by the destruction of Admiral Cervera
fleet to Spain.
IL Is the lIlDTeSSlOu III Tie NAVY Dc-
partment that as Spain is so much more
particular about prohibiting ordinary sea-
men to accept parole than she is in the case
of their superior officers some Interior mo-
tive must be at the bottom of the matter
and that, possibly, if her officers were re-
turned home the Spanish government would
take no further interest in the sailors, but
leave them paupers dependent on the
charity of the United States. 1t is certain
therefore, that the officers will remain un-
der restraint as long as the men are con-
fined and if Spain continues to be indiffer-
ent it is possible that some of the luxuries
will be taken from the officers and that
they will be made to feel, in a measure, that
they are, in fact, prisoners of war"