Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-18
| De LONE D|SAvOWED.
Spanish Ministry. Sends on It's
Long Expected Deliverance
About That Letter.
D1soLA1Ns THE SENIORS VIEWS.

No Sympathy with What He Said About
the neutrality-suspicious. the Imputa.
ton That Spain Is Not In Earnest ~ to
Reciprocity md Autonomy-Cannot Sec
How Such Thing Could Be Said In
Face Of tho Facts.
Washington. Feb. 1S.-Spain has Of
ficially disclaimed in a positive manner
the reflections contained in the De
Lone letter. and as officially announced
by the state department the incident is
satisfactorily closed. The statement
given out is as follows:
THE following is an abstract Of q
note sent Wednesday by the Spanish gov
eminent to Minister Xoodford at Madrid:
The Spanish government on learning
of the incident in which Minister Du-
puy de LONE was concerned, and being
advised Of his Objectionable commune
cation, with entire sincerity laments
the incident which was the cause of
the interview with the minister: states
that Minister De LONE had presented
his resignation and it had been ac-
cepted before the presentation Of the
matter by Minister Woodford.
Spain Does Not share DE Lome's Views.
That the Spanish ministry in ac-
cepting the resignation of funotionary
whose services they have been utiliz-
Ing and valuing up to that time leaves
1t perfectly well established that they
do not share and rather. on the con-
trary. disauthorize the criticisms tend
ing to offend or censure the chief of a
friendly state, although such criti-
cisns had been written within the field
Of friendship. and had reached public
ity by artful and criminal means. That
this meaning had taken shape in a
resolution by the council Of ministers
before General Woodford presented the
matter. and at time when the Spanish
government had only vague Geographic
reports concerning the sentiments al
luded to. That the Spanish nation, with
equal and greater reason, afirms its
view and decision after reading the
words contained in the letter rejecting
upon the president of the United States
Claim of spanish Sincerity.
"'As to the paragraph concerning the
desirability of negotiation of CONNER
cial relations, If even for effect, and the
Importance of using a representative
for the purpose stated in Senior Dupuy
de Lome's letter. the government ex-
presses concern that in the light Of its
conduct long after the writing Of the
letter, and in view of the unanswerable
testimony Of simultaneous and subse-
quent facts. any doubt should exist that
the Spanish government has given proof
of its real desire and Of its innermost
convictions with respect to the CONNER
cial system and the projected treaty of
commerce
That the Spanish government does
not now consider it necessary to lay
stress upon or to demonstrate anew
the truth and sincerity Of its purpose
and the unstained good faith of its in
tentions. That publicly and solemnly
the government of Spain contracted be-
fore the mother country and its colonies
responsibility for the political and
tariff changes which it has inaugurated
In both Antilles. the natural ends Of
which, in domestic and international
spheres, 1t pursues with firmnees, which
will ever inspire its conduct"