The herald., 1898-05-14
FINE FRENCH GUNNfRS
NOT LANDED IN CUBA By THE
LAFAYETTE
EMPHATIC OFFICIAL DENIAL
Made by France and Our Own State
Department, but Experts Are
Not Satisfied
Associa4eo Press Special wire

=
WASHINGTON, May 1S.-The state de-
partment today gave out the following:
"In view of the widely published reports
that the French mail steamer Lafayette.
which was recently permitted to enter Ha-
vana and discharge her official mail, had
violated the neutrality under which the
privilege was accorded her by the govern
ment of the United States, it is authors
tatively stated that the department Of state
has been satisfactorily convinced that moth
ing of the kind was done; that no merchan-
disc whatever, no contraband of war. and
no Spanish gunners were recently landed at
Havana by the Lafayette"
This statement was given out as q result
Of representations received from the
French embassy. The French ambassador
has been sincerely anxious to maintain the
good feeling existing between this country
and France. and he feared that some recent
publications, to the effect that the Lafay-
cite had carried guns and ammunition into
Havana, in time might become accepted as
fact. He also looked upon these state
ments as rejecting upon the character of
the French government as well as upon
himself as he had given assurances that
no contraband Of war was landed by the
Lafayette. The ambassadors views were
presented to Secretary Day by Secretary
Thiebaut, first secretary of the French en-
bassy, Ambassador Cambon being confined
to his room by slight illness. AS evidence
of the complete sincerity of the line of ac-
ton relating to the Lafayette, the embassy
took the unusual course Of showing all the
private dispatches passing between the en-
bassy here and the French consul at Ha-
vana. These, together with the manifest
of the Lafayette, satisfied Judge Day that
any published reflections on the course Of
the French authorities were erroneous. He
assured the French officials that the state
department had never shared in these re-
ports, and, in order that all misapprehen-
sion on the subject might be cleared up, he
directed the foregoing statement to De
made public.
A French Denial
PARIS, May 13-A semi-off1cial note is
issued this afternoon, denying the report
that a number of French artillerymen was
landed at Havana by the Lafayette, which
was allowed to enter that port recently.
The note adds:
"France has not departed, and will not
depart, in any way from the rules of the
treaty.
Expert Opinion
NEW YORK, May ia dispatch to the
World from Washington says:
The possibility of diplomatic complica-
lions between the United States and France
is suggested by this question, which is agi-
tating naval officers at the capital:
Ibid French experts man the guns that
carried death to five American sailors on
the Winslow?"
The suspicion directed against France is
due to two causes, the recent blockade
running experience of the French steamer
Lafayette, which was released after being
held UP by the blockading fleet, and the
Improvement of the gunners manning the
guns on Spanish forts.
Their improvement, that is noticeable, &C.
cording to naval experts. indicates the in.
PRODUCTION Of new and more experienced
hands, considering the previous work
of the Spanish gunners, who could not
send. shell within half a mile of a man.
of-war, much less strike 140-ton torpedo
boat.
Reports from the American fleet blockad-
ing the Cuban coast received during the
last four or five days have credited the
Spanish gunners with much better marks
manship than has been formerly given
them.
According to naval officers, the surprising
efficiency manifested in the recent work
could not be logically explained by natural
improvement due to practice. The Spanish
gunners who have been bobbing away at
the blockading fleet ten days prior to Tues
DAY aimed SO badly as to meri,
the deserved contempt Of the youngest
powder monkey in the American service.
Naval officers in gunnery argue, then.
that the gunners who brought havoc TO
the little Winslow were not the same as
those who have been operating the guns
at Cardenas, Havana and Matanzas during
the blockade They are inclined to believe
that the men who did the work are new
corners, better trained and more expert
than the Spaniards, and their deduction
inspires the suspicion against the French
liner Lafayette, which, by act of courtesy OF
this government, was permitted within the
lines of the blockade for the ostensible pur.
pose of delivering dispatches to the French
Consul at Havana and deporting French
residents who desired to leave the Cuban
capital.
Spanish Rejoicing
MADRID, May 10, 2:30 p.m.-The entire
press greets the so-called success" of the
Spaniards at Cardenas and at Cienfuegos
as being good augury for the future, and
hope is also revived on the subject of
Manila. the belief being expressed that
that port may be recovered owing to the
time which must elapse in preparing the
reinforcements for Rear Admiral Dewey
which, It is claimed here, will give time
for the Spanish expedition to arrive at the
Philippines.
Many Of the newspapers express salts.
faction at the arrival of the Spanish squad
ron at the Island of Martinique, while
others question the wisdom of opposing
the Spanish ships to those of Rear Admiral
SIMPSONS fleet, which is admitted to be
superior to the Spanish fleet. The naval
military men in this city say they would
have preferred to have had Admiral
Serevera steer direct for the coast of the
United States and lombard American
norris.