Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-13
FILLED WITH RUMORS
Many Startling Reports About Havana
Circulated.
SENATOR CANNON AFTER ADVICES
Reassurances Received by the
Spanish Minister.
INQUIRIES AT WHITE HOUSE

| was dlmcult to tell whence the apprehen-
sion came, but it was apparently genuine
| and not based entirely on the publications
In some of this morning papers. The reso-
| luton oHered by Senator Cannon and ADOPT
| ed by the Senate calling on the President
| for information to what steps have been
| taken to protect Americans In Cuba was
| not the result of newspaper publications
1t was based on the belief that the s;tua-
| tion Is at this hour such as to render hos-
| tlllty between this country and Spain prob
| able If steps are not taken to prevent a
| collision on Cuban soil between the Span-
| ISM and such Americans as are there
Inc purpose of the resolution as explain
eo oy senator Cannon, is peaceaDle and
| precautionary. The belief is that there is
| Gahser OF an uprising among the radical
| opaniards in Cula against American Nshay-
| ihs !or ltS ob1ect the provocation of war
| aiio tlat the lives of our consuls and other
| americans there are actually in danger
| III rfotlng has not actually begun there If
Is Is reared that it soon will unless protec-
| ton of a character to inspire resnect is
| at once provided.
| member of the Senate said TODAY that
ne ne believed that the President had already
| taken proper steps, having issued orders
| ID send naval vessels to Havana and taken
| other precautionary steps This ne said
would probably not be admitted by the ad,
| mnistration unless the situation had be-
| &C me so grave as to render concaaIpent
| no longer possible.
| 1t would be The policy of the President TO
| 90 whatever he found necessary in a wav
| TO produce the least possible public ex-
| cltement. The senator said that If what If
| was thought Lad been done actually had
| been, a conflict would be avoided. If how
| ever, steps had not already been taken 1T
| might be now too late. AT all events, 1t
| was SAID Congress would at once take a
band in the matter if the answer of the
| PRESIDENT to the Cannon resolution did not
| snow that protection had been provided
| for Americans in Cuba.
| The statement is made very enDha tiraIIy
| that, though it may nov be perfectly quiet
| IN Cuba, tie danger of trouble is there and
Will continue until precautionary steps are
! taken by this government. and that the
most certain way to guard against the pos
| siblity of collision. which would lead to
| war, Is to have naval protection at once.
| senator CannOn's Resolution.
| Senator Cannon of Utah presented the
| following resolution In the Senate, and it
| was adopted:
| Resolved, That the president is request
| ed, II In his opinion 1t is not incompatible
with the public interest, to transmit to the
Senate at his earliest convenience a state
ment showing what measures are in force
| by this government in the island of Cuba
and in waters contiguous thereto to pro-
tect the lives, liberty and property of Amer
lean citizens now dwelling in Cuba"
l. Senator Cannon was supposed to have
some inside information as the basis of his
resolution of inquiry, but he stated that he
had no official knowledge as TO the condi-
| ton OF affairs He said however, that he
| had been told that the white squadron
and the torpedo fotilla were under sealed
orders to sail for Havana in case their
services should be demanded, and that he
simply wanted to ascertain the facts in re-
gard to the situation about the American
consulate.
Senator Hale stated that he was also
without official information. He added that
he had been informed that there had been
no attack upon the quarters of American
officials and said: The Cuban people are,
however, eXcitable race, and l should
not be surprised to learn that the rabble
had organized itself into a mob and had
made some untoward demonstration. If
such should prove to be the case, it would
not be without precedent in exciting times,
and l have no doubt whatever that the
Spanish government would be very prompt
in case of such demonstration to make
reparation by punshing the perpetrators of
| such an outrage and paying indemnity for
any loss sustained"
Many Inquiries ut the White House.
The White House was the scene of a
thousand inquiries as to the situation in
Havana, but President Mckinley is more
complacent under the news from there
than he was while the exciting events We're
in progress in Ohio prior to the election of
Senator Hanna by the legislature
Another war scare seemed to have
seized the visitors to the Executive Man
sion. AS matter Of fact, Secretary Long
did visit the White House between u and
l O'Clock, and everybody said he had gone
up to confer with the President as to the
best method of bombarding Havana and OF
dispatching troops to Cuba. But not ten
words passed between the President and
his Secretary on the subject of ships or
fighting.
A Star reporter knows beyond doubt that
instead of instructng Secretary Long to
order warships and to shoot everything in
sight. the President read to Mr. Long
speech he will deliver in New York the
last of this month, which tells of the peace
full pursuit of manufactures and not of
the smell of gunpowder and the yels OF
fighting and dying men. Secretary Long
next talked to the President about the
Stevens case. While this conference was
going Representative Quigg Of New
York vas waiting in the next room obliv-
ious of the fact that the President was
talking of what he is going to use in bonn
harding New York, at the Waldorf and not
what is to be used in wiping Havana off
the earth.
The President told anxious inquirers
that he had not received a word from Ha-
vana during the day, and expressed sur
prise that the war should be beginning
right outside of the White House, and he
know nothing about 1t.
RumOrs of Statement.
To add to the agony Of the day, story
got abroad that Secretary Porter had
statement to give to the press, a red hot
official document from the White House,
hich would make Weyler and the whole
outfit culver in their boots. The story
said that the statement would unloose the
talons of the American eagle; that it would
bring a reproduction of the rebel yell'
in the south. make the east hurrah, warm
the cold blood Of the north and make the
west forget silver and the "crime Of '78."
These vivid stories brought the CORES
pondents with a swoop upon the White
House and upon the innocent and busy
secretary to the President. He had no
statement to give out and none to make
up. Between answering questions Of news
paper men and lodging the multitude of
importuning Office seekers in the White
House lobby the secretary to the President
got all the athletic exercise he wanted
Advices of tho Spanish Legation.
The latest official dispatch received by
the Spanish minister, Dupuy De LONE.
brouRht th0 aituation IN Havana nm IN