Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-04-21

certainty, Inc man taSu mat1e an eN-
ploration of an hour or i've and 70.
turned, saying that with the reception
Of one eleutric light near the hsrbor
and one at another place not very far
distant, where he thought perhaps this
lights might have gone out by the
shock, no other electric lights went
out. -
Gen. Lee also said that he had not
felt the shock Of tho explosion at his
hotol.
Have you heard since the explosion
of the Maine any expression by Span
ish officers in relation to il indicating
their pleasure at the fact?" asked Sem
atur Frye.
SPANISH OFFICERS REJotcED.
Gen. Lee responded: ~ heard two or
three days afterwards. from various per
sons who came in, that there was
good deal OF rejoicing among Home OF
the officers. A II reports got said they
were drinking champak ne. quite thing
to do, in honor OF the event, and in
different portions OF the city officers
were making merry. | attribute it to
the fact that what they considered
almost All enemy's battleehip had been
blown up, and it was that much in
their favor" He said that he had not
heard any threats of or illusions to
the destruction of the Maine previous
to the explosion.
Senator Lodge asked il be had heard
OF an attempt on the Montgomery.
= heard" responded Cen. Lee.
that there was something Of that sort
ono evening, but believe upon inves.
tigation it WAS found that it did not
amount to anything. -
Tho following culloIuy between Soma
tor Foraker and Con. Lee brought out
some further opinions of the general in
regard to the destruction of the Maine.
NOT THE WORK OF NOVICE.
Senator Forassr-You think that no
novice could haev destroyed the MaiueS
Consul General Lee--Oh, NJ, sir. Tho
man who din that work was an officer
thoroughly acquainted with explosives
Of all sorts, and who knew all about II.
1t was very we'll done.
Senator Foraker-A man who had OK.
pert knowledge, necessarily?
Consul General Lee-.Yes, sir.
Senator Clark-And who must have
had knowledge of the location of the
torpedo?
Consul General Lee.-Yes, | never
have been certain that tho sub marine
explosive was placed there prior to the
entrance Of the Maine intn the harbor.
1t might have been dons afterwards.
In reply to a question from Senator
Gray. Gen. Lea said that the Spanish
population is moi especially hostile
towards the United States. His
language being as follows;
:" | do not think they arc now. They
were. But the Spanish portion are
principally the merchants. commission
merchants, shop Keepers and all this
agitation is affecting very much their
business. Fearing that discriiuinations
would be made against them in some
way they would rather trust TO the
United States than to the CGbans.' -
Senator Gray-llow as to the Cuban
part Of toe population9
Gen. Lee-They are generally all fol-
| free Cuba.
Senator CulIom-- What is the conii
tion OF the reconcsntrados out in the
country?
Gen. Lee-Just as bad as In Gen.
Welyer's day.
AHaIsTICE AMOUNTS TO NOTHING,
Senator Lodge asked. "What doe
this cuasation Of hostilities spoken o
in the last few days amount top" T,
which Gen. Les responded:
Nothing, practically uothing-th,
armistice amounts to nothing"
In response to an inquiry from Sena
tor Frye as TO his reaaonH for sayinl
that the insurgents would pay no atten
tion to the armistice, Gen. Ice asid:
" Because every attempt so far I
make terms or TO make peace or to bu
the insurgents or their leaders has me
with signal failure; aud whatever ma
be said about old Gen. Gomez, be is
in my humble opinion, fighting tina
war in the only way it can be done
scattering his troops out.-because t
concentrate would he to starve. hayin
no commisHary train and no way to &c
supplies. I"
Suppose Havana was hlockaded,
raid Senator Mills, $50 that no prov
sions could go in, would the peopl
there have any way to get any?''
None Whatever" responded Ger
Lee The town would surrender /
short while.''
Gen. Las said that all but abor
300 600 ST. anIsrdH of the population
I Duha, which is about l,50O, 600 wei
, Cubsns.
Are all the Cubans friendly to tt
insurgents?" asked Senator Foraker.
never saw one that was not,' RI
, sponder Gen. Lee
Senator Oullom asked If the SPANS
{ army got any q the supplies sent
' the United States.
8 No, sir" said Con. Lee, ''occasioI
. ally they might have gotten a lit
0 here and there. -
1 Senator Frye-What il tine oonditit
q Of the Spanish soldiers there in Il
Q island'
: Consul General Les--Very bad.
t Senator Frye-As to clothing al
: subsistence, Low are they?
!, Consul General Lee-They are bad
o clothed and very badly fed; not We
Q organized; not drilled. Nobody OF
saw Spanish soldiers drill.
a Senator Frye asked: "What in 70
II Judgment, ia the possibility of Spa
If conquering the insurgents and reatorii
!, peace to the islandf"
!, ConHul General Lee-I do NOT thil
p there IL the slightest possibility
II their doing it at all in any way.
rs Senator Culloin-P Provided they
J. not starve them all to deathf
u Consul General Lee-The same conc
ID tion OF things existed when Mr.. Cley
~ land asked mo to go down there Ii
June year ago. ! gave MIN repc
D. in which / told MIN there was
h chance in my opinion of the Spaniar
ID ever suppressing that insurrectio
~ That report is in the State Departms
r, somewhere to-day, and il l had
Or write it over | would not dot an 60
is or cross IT." although l have be
to there nearly two years since then.