The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-15
Spain Can't Even Take Care Of
Her Soldiers.
CAN'T CONQUER THE CUBANS
Rebels Have Only a Skeleton Form
of Government.
DAILY. so A YEAR
CENTS A COPY.
[ WEEKLY 2-TIMES-A-WEEK 81 A YEAH

Washington. April 1.-THE testimony
taken before the Senate committee on for
eign relations In connection with the In
vestigation into the relations between the
United States and Cuba was made publil
today.
The statement, which contains the great-
est current interest Is that made by Con-
sui General Lee on the 18th instant, in
which he said that he was informed ON
very good authority that the spaniards
had placed two rows of torpedoes just at
the mouth of Havana harbor, by Morro
castle, within the past two months ana
subsequent TO the Maine disaster, and
that the switch board is in n room in the
castle. He said. however, that he had no
information of the placing of any torpe-
does before the Maine was destroyed and
none In regard to the purchase abroad BY
the Spanish authorities.
He also stated that he had no reason to
suspect that the harbor was mined before
the blowing UP of the Maine.
Gen. Lee stated that he thought the
Weyler letter 0he Laine letter. was COR
rect copy of the genuine letter He had
information Of a telegram from Gen. Wey-
Ter to Eva Canal, a noted Spanish woman
and an admirer OF Gen. weyier's, and also
to senor Guzman which read: Grave
circumstances cause me To ask you TO de-
stroy the last letter of Feb. 49,"
Gen. Lee said that this telegram had
never before been published, and he found
in 1t strong eonfrmatory evidence OF the
genulneness of the Weyler letter.
with reference to the responsibility for
the destruction of the Maine, Gen Les
said he was satisfied that the explosion
was from the outside and that Il was
caused by some of the officers who had
charge Of the mines and electrical wires
and torpedoes in the arsenal. He did nou
thing Capt. Gen. Blanco had anything 20
do with 1t.
Gen. Lee said that he had seen a copy
OF a telegram from Admiral Manterolas
dated In Havana. prior to the explosions
Of the Maine. to the Spanish commissions
in London, asking the commission To
hurry up the electrical cables"
Whether that referred to the wire for
submarine mines or torpedoes, / do nou
know" he continued II tried to ascer~
tain IL any of the wire or electrical cables
had arrived here but they came on Spans
sh ships, and / could not find out"
Gen. Lee said that this testimony in re-
gard to Manterola and also that with re-
ference to the Weyler telegram, had been
furnished to the court of inquiry which,
investigated the Maine disaster but had
not been sent to Congress nor published
because of request Of his made TO the
state department not to make them pub
lie, "as | was afraid the Spanish papers
there would re-publish II and they would
probably kill the man that gave II to me-"
Continuing his testimony, Gen. Lee said
he had made inquiries and ascertained
that none OF the electric lights of the city
went out at the time OF the explosion.
tie had also heard that some Of the
Spanish officers celebrated the blowing up
OF the battleship by drinking champagne
In reply to q question from Senator
Gray Gen. Lee stated that the Spanish
population is not especially hostile to-
ward the United States. He said that the
condition Of the reconcentrados was juse
as bad now as in Gen. Weylers day
In regard to the cessation Of hostilties
Gen. Lee thought the armistice amounted
to practically nothing. He did not think
the insurgents would pay any attention
70 1t.
Gen. Lee stated that provisions were
scarce in Havana and he thought that in
case of blockade the town would sur
render In a short while.
The insurgents also were living from
hand to mouth. Gen. Lee said that he had
expended ali but about 5000 of the $4,000
appropriated for the relief Of the American
citizens In Cuba. He described the con-
dition of the Spanish soldiers In the island
as being very bad, and said that If Spain
has really appropriated 100000 for the
sustenanee of the reconcentrados those
people would get but very little of IL. but
he did not believe they had appropriated
anything of the kind
He did not think that there was the
slightest possibility Of Spain conquering
the insurgents and restoring peace In the
island.
A number Of American citizens are still
on the Island, he said, for whom active
steps will have to be taken as they are
suffering and starving.
Gen. Lee said that the same condition of
things existed when President Cleveland
first sent him TO Havana and that he had
so reported. Continuing, he said: III I
had to write that report over, would not