Little Falls herald., 1898-03-11
DAY FILLED WITH EVENTS.

American Spanish Situation.
WASHINGTON, March 9.-There were
no less than five important events dur
ing the day having bearing more or
less directly upon the troubled relations
between the United States and Spain,
namely: The introduction in congress
by Mr.. Cannon of resolution carry
ing $4,000, 900 for the public de-
fense, the withdrawal by the Spanish
government of its intimated objection
to the continuance in Office Of Consul
General Lee, the order to the cruiser
Montgomery to proceed to Havana in
place Of the Fern, the passage through
the house of the bill increasing the
artillery arm by two regiments, and
the institution Of negotiations looking
to the purchase Of warships for our
navy. Mr.. Cannon's resolution prob
ably led all other topics in interest,
particularly when it became known
that it was the result of conference
between the author, the president,
Senator Hale and other leading spirits
in congress.
spain Had Provided a Loophols.
AS for General Lees case, the news
of the satisfactory end ling Of the incl
dent through the Withdrawal of the
suggestion by Spain was expected as
soon as it was noted that loophole
had been left open through the failure
to make the complaint in any thing like
an official shape. Some fear is ex-
pressed that the consul general will not
find his post very congen.al now that
he knows that he IS III unWelcome
guest in Havana, but li4e udmlnistra-
tion is relying upon his devotion to the
welfare of the Amerl;;ns III Cuba and
American intel tests .-cr;sl ! 20 subnllt
his own personal N:s!-v,, 10 lvstIalnt
and remain at his pos.
Late in the cftern.s i cr.: -: T~sc.
the Spanish charre, '%c<'lvF<i y i,...I
cable from the IN. S>.,l .. s>;,,c ::
Madrid saying: "I>.,i ~. {: say, y r..
rumor that any 1i-v.;;4 ;.l i...t:t, uti -
been made i'll liz i>l--. ~ 1>-.< :
Lee."
Intended as n, E':::e-="rcv z: Il.
AS ti.cro has been H. cx; 1850, -
far of the purpose NA.eA l.ui-. !, *.
introduction CT Mr.. C.i..:;n's rrs"..a,
ton, it may be sa.u t--i.t l4-- Ia ~,
is wanted prim arily as III c-.i>.: ,c.:cr
fund. 1t is said ~ ~::zz-ciais who VII.
have the disposition of this ~ >>.>>. y
that it Ly no mean, to1-c,5 ~.>->..~,
congress places such a cr:n &C t>,~.,~c:
in the control OF the president that he
will feel bound to spend all O. It..
Those who look for a wholesale pcr-
chase OF warships from the bargain
counters of European builders arc
likely to be disappointed. The navy
department at present is inclined to
make but one purchase of this kind, at
first at least, in the shape of substan-
tial ironclad. There is no disposition
on the part of the navy department. to
lum ber the navy with a lot OF unservice-
able craft in spasm Of fear, but rather
to get few of the best vessels to be
had.
Vessels Offered to Secretary Long.
The offers OF ships TO the navy de-
partment are now assuming definite
and formal shape. During the day
Secretary Long received a call from A.
E. Lane, representing the Maxim Nor.
denfeldt company, and the agent for
several war vessels now nearing COM
pletion in large foreign shipyards.
They were originally designed for one
of the South American republics, but
there is said to be no obligation which
would prevent their acquisition by the
United States.
There are things that are wanted
much more than warships in case Of
trouble, and the army shares these
needs so that fair proportion of the
81, 900, 900 would have to go to the war
department for. the purchase of sup.
plies. !