The record-union., 1898-02-27
THE De LONE INCIDENT.
PREMIER SAGASTA TALKS ON
THE SUBJECT.
Was Much Surprised When He
First Heard Of the Letter Writ
ten by the Minister.

MADRID, Feb 26.-As far as out
ward appearances go, the Madrid press
has not given any evidence of great
excitement in connection with the De
LONE incident. In most Of the even
ing papers the official note announcing
the acceptance Of the Spanish Minis
ter's resignation was tucked away in
an obscure paragraph, and SO it has
been with most of the news touching
the affair.
The substance of the following inter
view with Senior Sagasta was cabled TO
the Associated Press on February 18th,
but there are many niceties Of express
sion and perhaps meaning which war
rant the reproduction of the entire in
terview, as it appeared here In the
"Imparcial'' and the "Heraldo."
Senior Sagasta said:
when I heard Of the publication of
the letter written by Senior Dupuy de
LONE, was, to say the least, surprised
The ideas transmitted to Europe about
this letter We're of such a nature that
I at first thought they had been con-
cocted in the same factory of false news
which is daily sent to Europe by those
who have an interest in raising diff
culties between the Spanish Govern
ment and that of the United States.
Furthermore, how could I believe Du-
puy would write anything against the
President Of that Republic. when we
have in our possession numbers Of COM
munications from him in which he con-
stantly praises the prudence, the ex-
quisite tact and uprightness Of Mr.. Nc
Kinley? Had Dupuy cOnlidentially man
ifested some adverse opinion concerning
that Government or its President, then
l should not have been surprised at
what appeared in that letter; but,
in fact, we do not possess the least
document in which Dupuy even remote
ly indicates that he had cause for COM
plant in the conduct of Mckinley. That
is to say, the Spanish Government was
in ignorance that there existed differ
ences between it's representative and the
chief of that State"
Since when did Dupuy's attitude
changer
Il think since the reading of McKin-
ley's message
THE first notice that was taken of
the letter was the day before yester-
day, and in the evening we received a
dispatch from Dupuy saying that, in
view Of the publication of that docu-
ment, he asked the Government to ac-
cept his resignation. / then ordered
that Depuy be telegraphed. asking If
the letter in question We're his. There
was no delay about the answer. Dupuy
answered, Yes, and added that. his
position at Washington being untenable.
he asked that his resignation might
be accepted as soon as possible. More
over, yesterday Dupuy received a visit
from Mr.. Day, the Under Secretary of
State, who asked him if he recognized
as his the letter published in the press.
Dupuy answered affirmatively.
I'm view Of all this we wired our rep
resentative. accepting his resignation,
and ordering the First Secretary to
take charge Of the legation. After all
this. the Secretary Of State sent to his
representative in Madrid for transmits
sion to the Spanish Government dis
patch giving an account of the incident
that had arisen and asking for expla-
nations. AS we had anticipated this.
or, to express it better, as Dupuy him.
self, by resignation, had solved the
question, affairs remained in good po-
sition. In the meantime the relations
between the two countries followed a
normal course. This disagreeabl BILE Incl
dent may perhaps somewhat influence
events for the moment but 1 hope the
results will be nlomentary and of short
duration. On the other hand, the plot
ters and those elements which, in the
United States. lose not the least oppor-
tunity to SOW discord and cause dam
age between the two countries, will
draw from it all the advantage posi-
BILE"