The herald., 1898-04-15

POt4e<S<8s oaQ AIulkS. 4ncy oAAv0 ss@~s< 49,
and cattle into the valleys and hiilsidss and
they keep these and scatter out. This .
the reason they scatter out. The insur-
gents plant crops In many parte OF the
island.
Speaking about an armlstice. they have
not interfered with much since General
Blanco came there. With the exception OF
the campaign of General Pando In the east
ern part Of the island there have been very
few military operations inaugurated by the
Spanish. So It has been practically
sort Of truce for some time-the insurgents
because they did not want to fight. and be-
cause 1t was against orders to fight.
Suppose Havana was blockaded," said
Senator Mills, $50 that no provisions could
go in. would the people there have any way
to get any?'
Lee. 1.-THE town would surrender in a short
while
General Lee said that all but about three
hundred thousand Spaniards OF the popula-
ton of Cuba. which is about 5O0,00o were
Cubans. General Lee said he had expend-
ed all but about 5000 Of $4,000 appropriated
for the relief Of American citizens in Cuba.
Senator Morgan asked If 1t was matter
VI dCtudl necessity 10 leeu tHeLis " WHICH
General Lee replied:
"They were practically in the condition
Of all the other inhabitants Of the island.
They had very little to work at. There
were not many sugar plantations in op-
GRAFTON nor tobacco places. and they were
suffering like everybody else"
Senator Collum asked II the Spanish
army got any Of the supplies sent by the
United States.
mo, sir" said General Lee. Occasion
ally they might have got little here and
there"
Senator Frye asked various questions
in regard to the physical condition Of the
Spanish soldiers and the mehod Of pro-
viding for them. to which General Lee re-
piled that the condition Of the Spanish SOL
diers is very bad. They are badly clothed
and very badly fed; not we'll organized; not
drilled.
Senator Frye-If Spain has appropriated
$500 900 for the sustenance of the reconcen-
trados. as 1t is stated. do you believe that
that will be given to those people and that
their soldiers will be left to starve?
General Lee-Oh, no.
Senator Foraker-What will become
of it?
General Lee-They will divide 1t up here
and there-a piece taken of here and a
piece taken off there. I do not believe they
have appropriated anything of the kind.
General Lee said that there were Ameri-
can citizens left on the island for whom
there Is no provision since he left.
He thought there would have to be active
steps for their relief, as they are suffering
and starving. He said he thought Miss
Clara Barton would have remained to take
charge of the distribution of supplies. But
very much to my surprise, she turned
around and came out the same way we
did,
Senator Frye-What, in your judgment,
is the possibility of Spain's conquering the
insurgents and restoring peace to the
island?
Consul General-I do not think there is
the slightest possibility of their doing 1t at
all In any way. The same condition of
things existed when Mr.. Cleveland asked
me to go down there last June a year ago.
I told him there were no chances; in my
opinion, of the Spaniards ever suppressing
that insurrection nor was there any chance
for the insurrectionists expelling the
Spanish soldiers from the island.
Lodge for his opinion of the insurgent gov
ernment, General Lee said: II have never
thought that the insurgents had anything
except the skeleton for a governmental
movable capital. I asked them one day
why they did not have some permanent
capital, and think they gave very good
reason. They said 1t would require a large
force to protect it and defend 1t, and they
could not afford to mass up their men
there; that the capital and the govern
ment offices had to move where they could
be the safest"
General Lee said he did not know Of any
of the officials connected with the civil
government. The armed force would num-
Der probably 81, 900 or $4,000. The number
has been probably as high as 5000 or 81 900
men we'll armed. The ammunition varies.
The Spanish force will probably reach 55.-
900 or $1,000.
General Lee said that an American army
of occupation could go into the island with
safety now. The climate nor anything
else need not prevent them from entering
Cuba.
General Lee said that when he left Ha-
vana the Spanish troops had not been paid
for about nine months nor the Spanish
officers for about four months.
Senator Daniel-Do you think General
Blanco was lacking in courtesy to you on
leaving the island?
General Lee-I went with the British
consul-general and saw DR.. Congosto, the
secretary to the general. I told DR.. Con-
gosto that I had received instructions to
leave the island and to go to the United
States and I called to pay my final re-
spects and would like to see General
Blanco. He asked me to sit down and said
he would go and let him know. He went
off and stayed about fifteen minutes and
said the general said to please excuse him,
he was not well and was lying down. told
DR.. Congosto then to say goodbye to him
and turned around and left.
Senator Davis-Were there any demon
strations of i'll will toward you as you left !?
General Lee-When we were coming out
on the street, Saturday evening there was
haloing, cat calling and whistling and
some Spanish expressions, mean cow
ards" running away" and so on. I think
that was confined to the lower order of
men, however
Sigsbee's Testimony
Captain Sigsbee, in command OF the
Maine at the time of the disaster, was ex-
amined on the 3lst of March. He repeated
| his opinion that the Maine was destroyed
| by mine, either temporary or permanent.
He thought it had been a very large mine,
but in his opinion 1t was larger than could
| be planted near the vessel at any time ex-
cept in broad DAYLIGHT and under super-