The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-08
Several COnsuls at Several Seacoast
Towns Already En- Route to
Jamaica or Florida.
NO DISORDERS YESTERDAY
ALL STEAMERS LEAVING HAVANA
LOADED WITH PASSENGERS.
Officers OF the Fleet at Key West
pairing for Expected War.

WASHINGTON. April 7-Consul General
Lee will leave Havana Saturday as a. re-
suit of explicit instructions from the State
Department and reply from him stating
that he would sail on the day named A
telegram received at the State Department
late this afternoon from General Lee re-
ported everything quiet in Havana Gen.
Lee thinks it probable that all Americans
in Cuba who desire to leave the island will
bs able to DO so unless something unex-
pected should happen suddenly to prevent
them, by Saturday, when he will depart
himself for the United States
The arrangement for protection of Amer
lean citizens from violence include both the
islands of Cuba and Porto Rico. While the
majority Of our people in Cuba are at Ha-
vana, there is also a comparatively large
number congregated at Matanzas. Saga la
Grande and other Cuban ports The ar
rangements for the care of the people at
these latter ports have been nearly as COM
plete as those made for the relief of the
Americans at Havana. An official of the
State Department said to-day that the ar
rangements for the homecoming of all
Americans in Cuba were now as ample and
complete as could be made in the limited
time permissible under existing conditions.
Consul General Lee has been clothed wit.
ample authority to take any steps he may
ne for faf1
ple This general discretion includes the
power to charter steamers and such other
vessels as may be available in making the
trip to Florida. The naval vessels Fern,
Mangrove and Bache are in the harbor of
Havana and will be utilized in the trans
portation of resident Americans to Key
West. In case of necessity they will make
two or more trips between the ports men
toned. Arrangements have been made with
the steamship line connections with Kings
ton, Jamaica, to have their vessels touch
at the various Cuban ports other than Ha-
vana. There is no recent information at the
State Department showing the exact num-
ber of Americans now in Cuba, but latest
estimates roughly fix it at between two
thousand and five thousand. There is no
doubt in the minds of officials who have
citizens in Cuba who may desire to take
advantage of the opportunity provided by
the government will be out Of Cuba and
safely on their way to the United States
before next Monday.
Representative Robbins, of Pennsylvania,
has introduced a resolution calling atten-
ton to the cablegram from General Lee
yesterday as to the imperilment of the lives
of American citizens if the message should
be submitted to Congress before Monday
and recognizing Cuban independence. 1t de-
clares that state of war has existed be-
tween the two nations since the Maine de-
struction and directs the President to order
Key West to Havana to demand the safe
conduct of all Americans from the island
who desire to leave and for the squadron to
lombard Moro Costle and close the port
of Havana if the Spanish fail to comply.
1t also directs that the Spanish government
be notified by the President to withdraw
her army from the island and her navy
from Cuban waters.
Representative Wheeler, OF Alabama, in
troduced in the House a resolution extend
ing the thanks of Congress to Consul Cen
eral Lee for the courage, efficiency and
good judgment he had displayed in the per-
formance of his duties as consul general at
Havana. Representative Wheeler and Gen.
Lee are lifelong friends They are both
graduates of West Point and were at the
Military Academy at the same time.