The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-03-09
GEN. LEE MUST REMAIN.
Spaniards Request His Recall from
Havana.
President Mckinley in Refusing TO Enter
tain the Proposal Pays n High Com
pliment to the Consul General
DOns Do Not Like the Idea
of Sending Relief on
Naval Vessels.

Mdurlu, MarCn Z. - OenOr OullOn
Spanish minister of foreign affairs, re-
Gently intimated to United States Min
lister Woodford that the Spanish gov
ernment desired the recall from Havana
of Consul General Lee and that the
American warships which have been
designated to convey supplies to Cuba
for the relief of the sufferers there
should be replaced by merchant yes
sells, in order to deprive the assistance
sent to the reconcentrados of an Off
cial character. Minister Woodford
cabled the requests to the Washington
government, which replied, refusing to
recall Mr.. Lee in the present circum-
stances or to countermand the orders
for the dispatch Of the war vessels,
making the representation that the
relief vessels are not fighting ships.
For several days the newspapers
have been violently attacking Consul
General Lee. The impartial after re-
marking that ian American newspaper
has insinuated that Mr.. Lee is mem
ber of syndicate desiring to purchase
Cuba" says: His i'll will toward Spain
is so marked that even American news
papers inimical to Spain are remarking
It.
The impartial calls upon the gov.
ernment to demand the replacing OF
Consul General Lee, ''who instead OF
tightening the bonds of friendship be-
tween the United States and Spain,
daily renders the situation more threat
ening." 1t adds that the next session
of the cortes will "consider'Consul Gen.
eral Lees conduct"
Other papers accuse Mr.. Lee of being
"better disposed toward the Cuban in.
surgents than toward the colonial gov
ernment."
Washington, March 7.-As to dis.
patch from Madrid concerning the de-
mand for Gen. Lees recall, the state
department officials make the follow
ing statement: The president will not
consider the recall of Mr.. Lee. He has
borne himself throughout this crisis
with judgment, fidelity and courage,
to the presidents entire satisfaction
AS to the supplies for the relief of the
Cuban people, all arrangements have
been made to carry consignment this
week from Key West by one of the
naval vessels whichever may be best
adapted for the purpose, to Matanzas
and Sagua.
Although the officials here are non.
committal on the subject, it is believed
the request for Mr.. Lees recall was
made at least day or two ago and the
Spanish government, after receiving
the reply of the state department, has
not insisted either upon Lees recall OF
that the relief supplies should not be
sent to Cuba in naval vessels.
The request for Mr.. Lees recall Is
understood to have come since the last
cabinet meeting on Friday, as no ref
erence was made to it at that time. II
came through Minister Woodford, o
somewhat unusual proceeding, as the
common mode of requesting the with
drawal OF minister or consul is
through the representative of the gov.
ernment making the request, which in
this case is Senor Du Bose, the Spanish
charge d'affaires. Mr.. Du Bose haG
received no instructions on the subject
and was in complete ignorance of the
demands made through Minister Wood.
ford. The other suggestion of the
Spanish government, that relief sup
plies should not be sent in war vessels,
did not come through Minister Wood.
ford, as the Madrid dispatches state,
but was presented by Senior Du Bose to
the state department last Friday. The
responses in both cases went direct to
Minister Woodford.
In responding to the request for Mr..
Lees recall the president does not ap.
pear to have deemed the subject open
to such discussion as would require the
views of his cabinet associates, and af.
ter brief exchange between the White
House and the state department the
negative answer was dispatched to Mr..
Woodford.
The grounds on which Mr.. Lees re.
call was asked are not officially dis
closed. There is little doubt, however,
that the main cause of Spain's action
is the sympathy Mr.. Lee has shown for
the Cuban sufferers. His open sym
pathy with the people who have SUI
fered so greatly during the present in
surrection has not been accepted by
the Spanish officials in Cuba as an ex.
hibition of disinterested oficialism,
such as is expected of consular officers
There were complaints during Wey-
ler's administration of his conduct,
but never in full official form.
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