The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-22
While Our State Department Has Been
Informed His Connection Ceased
on Jan. "a Last.
ATTEMPT TO EXCITE SPAIN
REPORTS OF ACTIVE WAR PREPA-
RATIONS SENT TO MADRID.
Speculation as to What Will BE Done
if 1t Is Found the Maine Was De-
stroyed by Spanish Design.

WASHINGTON, Feb. A.-Inquiry at
leading foreign embassies and legations to-
day fails to confirm rumors that members
of the diplomatic corps have reached the
conclusion that crisis in Spanish affairs
is near at hand and that several of the
foreign representatives have notified their
governments that war is inevitable. The
rumors mentioned the French and British
embassy as having advised their govern
ments to this effect, but it can be stated
positively that no such reports have been
made from these quarters. OF the other
foreign establishments, it is said by those
in a position to speak intelligently that
while the progress of events undoubtedly
has been communicated to the home gov
ernments there is no knowledge of any
reports being made that war is imminent.
1t is pointed out that diplomats are most
guarded in their official reports in making
conjectures on the future.
The case of Lieutenant Commander Sob
raj, the naval attache of the Spanish lega-
ton here, has taken curious turn. 1t was
announced the lieutenant had not been at
tached to the legation since JAM "a, but
the officer says he has not been relieved.
The State Department, however, on learn
ing that Sobral was no longer recognized
as an attache decided to ignore the inter
view attributed to him, which it at first
was disposed to resent 1t is now stated
that Secretary Long late Saturday evening
called upon Acting Secretary Day, of the
State Department, and laid before him
newspaper clippings containing the re-
ported interview. Acting Secretary Day
agreed with Secretary Long that there was
warrant for looking into the matter and
called the attention of the Spanish charge
to the publications. The charge, however,
promptly declared that the naval officer
was no longer an attache of the legation,
his successor having been appointed and
gazetted Dec. "a last. He further explained
that it was owing entirely to the more i'm
portant and pressing matters of business
before it that the legation had overlooked
the sending of the proper notification of
the change to the State Department. 1t is
said that as a matter of fact there are
frequently great delays in the receipt of
such information of changes among at
taches at the State Department. The Span
ish charge also said that Lieutenant Com
mander Don Ramon Carranza Riguera
had been appointed successor to Sobral.
"A dispatch from New York this evening
says: To-day a representative of the AS
sociated Press called on Lieutenant Com
mander L. G. Sobral, naval attache to the
Spanish legation at Washington, now in
this city, and during an interview held
in the Spanish language asked If the re-
ported interview held with him had been
accurately stated. Lieutenant Commander
Sobral, who understands q little English
when 1t is spoken very slowly, said that
he had been misunderstood, hence mis-
quoted. He said that the construction
placed on his remarks had led to an erron-
eous deduction-that he had not made any
unkind or harsh remarks about the ofti-
GERS Of the Maine The reporter in speaking
to him quoted the opinion, said to have
been given by an officer in the navy of
Great Britain, rejecting on the discipline
in the American navy. Lieutenant Com
mander Sobral ventured the remark that
accidents happen on ships and that per-
haps the sentinel on duty had become care
less. He also said that he was not aware
that he was being interviewed. He had no
unkind feeling toward the American navy
and he had many friends among the per-
sonnel and among the government officials
in washington. He greatly regretted the
whole circumstance When asked if his Of
fetal connection with the Spanish legation
had ceased, he said that it had not and
that he was, as formerly, the naval at
tache of that legation in Washington"
Notwithstanding the statement of Lieut..
Sobral that he is still the naval attache of
the Spanish legation, his recall was regu-
larly gazetted on the 24th of January and
he is not regarded by the legation here as
connected with it.