The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-09
Made the Trip Across on the
La Tourine.
MET BY MEMBERS G. A. R.
REFUSED TO BE INTERVIEWED
By REPORTERS.
SPOKE LIGHTLY OF sToNlNG INCIDENT
Other Passengers who Came Over With Him
Tell of the Intensely Hostile Feeling
Of The French Towards Americans
and Their Petty Insults.

and Their Petty Insults
New York, May S.-General Stewart
l.. Woodford, United States Minister to
Spain, arrived on the La Touralne this
morning and left for Washington this
afternoon. The La Touraine also had on
hoard number of the attaches of the
United States Legation at Madrid, in
Guiding George Stanford Sickles, first
Secretary of the Legation; Capt T. IL.
Bliss, Col. Kellog. Military Attache, and
Capt. C. L. Dyer. Naval Attache.
A reception committee from the Union
League Club and u. S. Grant Post 327
g. A. r., met General Woodford ut
quarantine and accompanied him to this
city. General Woodford declined to be
interviewed by reporters, stating that
he was still in the diplomatic service Of
the government, and could say absolute
" nothing for publication.
Mr.. Sickles, when informed that cable
dispatches had stated that the train on
which the members of the legation had
come from Madrid TO Paris, had been
attacked DIV Il MOD, anu lll;lI Stones Ildu
been thrown Mt the party, said:
We'll, some things were thrown at
the train, but the demonstration was
not of a serious character. A number
of students, not a large number had
gathered at Valladolid and cried Long
Live Spain" and a few other patriotic
cries. They were not directed against
MS particularly l assure you, but were
the result of patriotic feeling on their
part. A few windows in one of the
ears next to that occupied by the party
were broken. but none of lis was injured.
no one at all was hurt. While at Madrid
we were treated with the utmost cour-
tesy."
J. S. Highlands. another American on
the steamer. said he had gone abroad to-
visit his son at Madrid He had intended
staying for about six months, but the
anti-American demonstrations had been
so great that ne was forced to leave that
place within three weeks after his ar
rival, and his son was forced to flee tol
Lisbon. Mr.. Highlands said that the
signs on the office of the American
houses had been smashed and torn down.
w. G. Cannon. of Denver, Colorado,
who had been travelling abroad, said
that in Paris the feeling is most bitterly
anti-Amercan. Every person who isl
thought to be an American is elbowed
off the sidewalks, jostled by the crowds
and everything possible done to show the
antipathy of the French Petty annoy
ances are practiced, for instance the
street cars will not stop to take on
American passengers, rates of exchange
in money in most cases are eXorbitant,
and small purchases are not encouraged
by many of the shop-keepers, except att
figures at three or four times the ac-
tual value.
Bishop John r. Spalding, of Peoria,
stated that the feeling of the French to-
ward the Americans was intensely hos
tile. He said that he understood that
one of the reasons for this was that
eight-tenths of the public debt of Spain
was held by the French people, and that
the latter country also owned nearly all
of THE railroads in operation in Spain.
WOODFORD SEES PRESIDENT.
Washington ID. c., May S.-General
Stewart T. Woodford United States
Minister to Spain. arrived in Washing
ton from New York this evening shortly
before 8 O'Clock. He went almost direct
ly to the White House, where he was
given a most cordial reception by the
President He remained in conference
with the President until late hour.
the entire Hispano-American situation
being informally and thoroughly discuss
ed.
General Woodford declined TO be inter
We've upon the subject.
The President assured General Wood
ford that his work throughout the deli
cate crisis met with his entire approval
Ii was learned tonight that the admin
istration had a purpose in transmitting
to General Woodford the ultimatum of
the United States to Spain in open Eng
lish. instead of in the State Department
cipher, which is usually employed in ca
BILE correspondence with diplomatic repre-
sentatiyes.
1t was expected by the President thar
the message to Minister Woodford would
be laid before the Sagasta Ministry be-
fore ii was delivered to General Wood
ford and in this he was not incorrect,
as events proved The message was de-
layed many hours in delivery and MIN
lister WoOdford afterward learned thai
the ultimatum had been in the hands OF
Premier Sagasta and had been cOnsIG-
cred by the Cabinet long before he learn
cd that it had arrived. Thus it was that
the Spanish government was enabled to
give him his passports before he had an
opportunity to deliver the ultimatum for
mally to the Madrid Government. The
fact that the ultimatum was not present.
ed 10 the Spanish government was en-
tirely satisfactory to the administration,
as il was i'll accordance with the expec,
tati0n of the President
Consul General Bowen. whose head
quarters were at Barcelona. arrived
here tonight in company with General
Woodford. He too. declined to make anv
statement for publication.
THE CUBAN BLOCKADE.