The herald., 1898-02-15
SpecIal to The Herald

Special tU The Herald
NEW YORK, Feb. 14.-Startling news
comes today of threatened trouble be-
tween Spain and the United States. The
situation Is extremely critical.
Minister Woodford at Madrid, accord
| ing to special cable dispatches to the
Journal, presented note to the Spanish
government asking for a disavowal of
the statements in the Dc LONE letter, to
the effect that Spain was conducting
commercial negotiations merely for eff
feet. Sagasta and his cabinet met in
the afternoon and after the session,
publicly announced that their govern
ment could take no action on private
letter, formally accepted De Lome's res
ignation, and recommended to the queen
regent the appointment of Don Louis
Polo Bernabe as his successor.
At the same time the Journal is in!
formed by cable that Spain has actually
begun the work of arming six fast mer-
chant steamers in preparation for actu-
al hostilities.
Dispatches to the Journal from various
steel foundries in the United States-are
to the effect that this government has
given orders for projectiles, shot and
shell. and that everywhere large gangs
of employees are turning them out with
feverish energy.
More important than all is the fact that
H., =
take action. Today the house of repre-
sentatives called for reports of our con-
suls in Cuba relative to the condition OF
starving reconcentrados and concernins
the progress of autonomy. This call,
could, Of course, have been prevented by
the administration, because the house
foreign affairs committee has acted only
in accordance with McKinley's desires
The mere call for information proves
hat the president wished the house to ask
for informal tion, so that he might have
reason for collecting it. The bowling of
the speaker to the will of the house Is
understood by everybody in Washington
to mean that Pesident Mckinley has
pulled the bell to the engine room and
that the ship of state is to go ahead.
When the consular reports are read
and congress is in possession of the hor-
rible facts, the task will be made easy
for Mckinley to fulfill the promises of
his message and intervene to end the
war.
A COLOSSAL CARGO .
NEW YORK, Feb. 14.--(Special to The
Herald.) One of the most colossal car
goes of war material ever sent to Cuba
was stored last night on board steamer
hove to off Montauk point, at the eastern
erd of Long Island. The number of rifles
and cartridges loaded on this vessel is
said to reach into the millions. These
of war came from seven diff
ferent tugs. which sped away from as
many different ports on the Atlantic
coast just before the hour of midnight.
But secretly as the Cubans worked the
Spanish spies discovered their plans,
sAAo VA oeshuoy night -SONSTHineul tugs
with armed men aboard started from
half dozen ports on Long Island
sound and the Jersey coast in search Of
the filibusters.
The search was fruitless. !. 1t was G
o'clock last night when q black hulled
steamer, with one funnel and two pole
nasts, apparently supplied with derrick
oooms. steamed into Fort Pond bay near
Montauk and anchored about a mile off
shore. The steamer burned blue light
n the fore rigging as signal, and twoI
boats went ashore. Eighteen men werel
for these. They lifted heavy
packages into the, craft, which were
owed quietly back to the steamer. The
'oats were hoisted, the steamers an
'hor was tripped and she steamed
luietly away to the eastward. She is |
aid to have been hove-to some distance
% the southeast of Montauk point on the
ligh seas and out of the jurisdiction. of |
he United States. -
SQUADRON MOVEMENTS
KEY WEST. Fla. Feb. 14.-(special
o The Heraid.) The white squadron,