Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-01-21
CUBAN POLICY,
Which President Mckinley is Some
times Accused of Having

Inscribed by Unnamed Persons
VINO Are Said to Be Near to the
President, and Competent to
sneak for Him-The Main Feature
~ the Programme is Waiting.
Varships Fitting About General
lee Relied Upon. and Given Au-
43ority to Order Warships to
Move.
Washington, d. c., January 2O.-Gen-
rsmea in Congress, who, by reason of
,ssi- U0sition. have reason to be ac
a,-9relv informed on the policy of the
o5rninistration as to Cuba, say that
+H. n0licy is in substance as follows:
Ar the present moment, it is felt that
+.a same material conditions prevail
ts,t exists when the President sent his
tst message to Congress. At that time
If was stated that the plan of auton
ouv having been inaugurated, it was
tgs purpose Of the executive branch to
si5e proper time for this plan to be
+,fed The administration is said to
entertain the same sentiments to-day.
onlv three weeks ago, namely on Jan
u8rv /, when the autonomous cabinet
took Office. so that it is felt that there
has not been adequate time up to the
present moment to form any fair judg
ment as TO the merits of the plan as
means Of ameliorating conditions on
the island. The recent occurrences at
Havana are looked upon as affording
evidence of discomfort with the plan
but whether this will be sufficient to
overcome the plan itself is not looked
upon as established with any degree
Of certainty or even approXimateness
Ii the meantime, while closely observ-
ing the progress of the autonomous
plan, the administration has adopted
every precaution to guard against any
SUDDEN EMERGENCY,
such as an uprising that will threaten
American interests. This is not ex-
pected to occur, but if it should come,
il is said that the naval vessels of the
United States are so disposed as to be
i'm the harbor of Havana within six
hours of any crisis which would impor.
American interests. In order that
there may be no delay should an
emergency arise it is said that Consul
General Lee has been empowered to
make direct request to the commanders
OF the Warships so that the vessels
could start on receipt of word from
Inn. without the delays incident to
living his requests pass through the
offcial routine at Washington. To
great extent the intelligent judgment
of General Lee is relied upon as to
determining if any emergency requires
the presence Of American vessels.
This however, applies solely to the
question of tumult of a critical nature
and has no connection with the gen
eral question of intervention for the
purpose of bringing
THE WAR TO A CLOSE.
Such a step is not under immediate
consideration, for, as already stated,
it is predicted on the failure OF the
plan Of autonomy, which result, 1t is
said. the administration does not re-
q d as established by the evidence at
hand up to the present time.
The Spanish minister tonight re-
eeived messages announcing the sur
render Of several Cuban leaders With
their fighting forces. Confirmation of
the reports is awaited with keen inter-
est
The Spanish minister called at the
State Department to-day, being diplo-
matte day, and spent three-quarters OF
an hour in conversation with Judge
Day. the assistant secretary. There
was no late news from Havana, which
taken as a sign that all is quiet
here But it is believed that the
minister is seriously disquieted by
certain events of the last few days in
-ais country First, there was the
speech yesterday in the House of Rep
resentatiye HILL chairman OF the COM
m'ttee on foreign affairs, which Whlle
from the Spanish view serving the
useful purpose of consolidating the
majority in support of the Presidents
policy as to Cuba, yet embodied state
ments which in general terms, are
likely to misinterpretation in Spain.
hen few changes made recently in
the disposition of the
UNITED STATES NAVAL VESSELS
ele believed TO be subject to the same
hlsAterpretation by the Spanish. The
8unAQat Helena was on her way to the
ASiatlc station with permission to
make d slow passage and stop fire.
c0ontly on the way. When she arrived
ar Funchal, MADEIRA. she was author
2Nl by cable to stop at Lisbon, Por-
jusal- somewhat off her route, for a
purpose that can only be conJectured
unasmuch as the naval officials re-
Iise to discuss the movements at alb
as an indication of the departments
intention to have the ship within easy
Ca3e communication, and also per-
laps or easy access to Minister Wood
4ofd The department had been pre-
p&flAg to send the gunboat Nashville
L" europe to relieve the Raleigh and
.dhe out draft of men to the Stn
f'ancisco, but this plan has been sus-
FsA'ea for time, and the gunboat is
Nv" Under orders to go to Port Royal,
-. r., to Join the monitor Amphitrite
'lfe at target practice. Two vessels
iAe Sauth Atlantic squadron, the
AtlAhati and the Castine are coming
'N.'HWard from the lower upper por-
taR OF the station The former iS