Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-02-11
DE LONE ADMITS IT.
Continued from page -

letter was in the hands of the Cuban
Junta and was about to be made pub
lie The information was meagre and.
not knowing exactly what was referred
to. and believing that the story was an
| eXagSeration from Cuban sources. he
characterized the reports as ridiculous.
At no time. however did he deny the
authenticity of the letter 10 Canelajas.
Later, when fully acquainted with
the facts, he cahled the Spanish GOV
eminent fully, stating that the letter
was about To he published and that in
| his Judgment the effect would be to end
his usefulness as the representative of
Spain in Washington. This was Tues
day night. before the publication had
! appeared. In effect it was a tender of
| resignation, although couched in the
terms usual Ia diplomacy. that the use
fulness of the minister was at an end.
This continued to be the status up to
! the report of De Lome'S resignation.
The DE LONE incident was The rrin-
/ cipal subject Of comment in all circles
at the Capital. today. and the uniform
remark was that the minister had in
resigninG pursued Til" only course left
| open to him after the authenticity If
! his letter had been rSta blished. IN the
Senat" there were occasional cXprrS-
| SionS of surprise that a diplomat of tn"
experience of the Spanish miniSt"r
/ should have entrusted a letter of that
| character To the mails and one or Two
| senators expressed personal sympathy
| foY DE LONE. Foiloaing are some Of
| the expressions heard on the hopr of
the Senate:
senator AllSon-Having confessed,
should say that there was nothing left
! for De Lone To do but to get out of the
/ country, and in my opinion, the sooner
/ he goes the better
senator r,att. New Yorkshire in
cil~nt is Very unfortunate AT this time,
h9t NOW that lie Lom" is going away
} ihe loss saia the better.
Senator Jones Of ArkanSas-In View
II DE Lume'S unjuslitjahIe attack upon
. III" personal character If the President
/ Of the United States | should have
given him his passports al once instead
of asku@ ior his recall
Senator Davis chairman of tn Sen
ate on foreign ry}atione--Ther was
nothing Lett for lie LONE hut To resign
after acknowledging he authorship If
Inc letter He has taken that step and
J presume the matter may ho consd-
erred ended.
I Senator Turpie also of the committee
+ on f"Icl2n rclatlonS-NptWithS tandinS
Dc Lomr'S resignation, it vii! stiU rest
With the President Ia say whether he
/ snail still he dismissed / should say
! that lac should b" i'm case Their" is any
great delay in his departure from the
country
senator l!aic-Therc was nothing left
I Tor lie l.onic to DO but resign after
! acknOWied@in@ the %cnuiucss of the
/ letter. sim. the incident is a melan-
choly instance of man injuring his
own fortunes and possibly destroying
} a brilliant career lay one unfortunate
msstep. With this exception ne
! l.0Mp'S career here as the representa-
/ tive of his country at a critical time
! has been entirely creditablr and h
| has done much To maintain amicahlo
! relat ions between the TWO nations He
! has been Wise, prudent and conserva-
/ tive and has don" much to preserve
/ peace when many Il less cautious man
| would have been apt To commit an
ohensc that would have resulted IN
/ hOStiltirS. 1t was certainly indiSCrect
on his part to write such a letter and
| commit it To the mails. and he should
! have known better | have NOT con-
| tcrrcd with De LONE sine" the letter
/ was made public. but ] feel confident
! that the translation given out gives ii
| the harSh"st possible tone and believe
that a proper translation would soften
| it very much. Personally | feel tn"
deepest sympathy in the matter and
am sorry that DE Lone is to retire. but
| do not allow myself to think ION a
moment that tn" incident Will j" the
caus" Of straining IN" relations be
tween TINS country and SPAN. IN"
liberal ministry VIII. of course" send
us a man Of its own party and | hay"
no douht We snail secure an acceptance
ana competent man as DE LONE "
successor.
Up 10 the close OF once hours Inc
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