The record-union., 1898-04-12
Plainly Shown When Lee Was De-
parting From Havana.
ROOts and Calls Of Insulting Nature Given
Expression To.

1 III
Spanish Gunboats and Soldiers
at the Eorts-A Cannon on One
of the Warships LeveIed Direct
ly at the Fern as She Was Leav-
ing the Harbor.
| NEW YORK, April ia dispatch
to the Tribune" from Key West says:
! Consul-General Lee went north via
| Tampa in the belief that his presence
was wanted in Washington to give in
| formation about the probabilities in
| Cuba during the next fortnight He
did not receive instructions until he
reached Key West Vice-Consul Sprin-
| ger and Consul Barker of Sagus are
| also instructed to report at headquar-
ters. This was construed as indicating
the opinion in official quarters that an
early reopening of the American Con-
sulates in Cuba is not probable.
General Lee may be able to add some
knowledge to what is already known
| regarding the plot by which the Maine
was blown up, though not, perhaps, to
the extent of fixing the conspiracy Off
cially on the Spanish Government AT
ter the departure of Captain Sampson
and the court of inquiry, it was left to
him to follow the clews regarding con-
| spirators. While the board reported its
inability to fix the responsibility for
the explosion on any person or persons
it was we'll understood that the sus-
picions of its members were definite
Had those received assurances that the
| Spanish authorities could be depended
| on to cooperate in the investigation
| valuable evidence might have been
! placed in the hands of the latter But
| with Spain holding to the theory of
accident, the only effect of placing in
! their hands evidence as to the prob
able identity of the conspirators would
have been it's destruction. So General
Lee continued his inquiries on inde-
| pendent lines. The result was to show
| the fallacy of some of the clews but
| not of all.
| Perhaps General Lee would not feel
| justified in making stronger assertions
| officially than could the board about
the identity of the conspirators, yet he
| uncovered enough to satisfy him that
fanatic could not have fixed the mine
| which blew up the Maine in Havana
harbor, or have fired it. When Naval
Attache Sobral gave out in Washing
ton an official statement that no mines
| had been laid in Havana harbor, evil
| dence that this was a mistake was
| quickly accumulated at the Consulate
before the board had established that
fact to it's own satisfaction. Whether
| some of the junior officers who We're
stationed at the arsenal under Weyler
were directly implicated in the plot may
| be matter of individual opinion, rath-
| er than of demonstrated evidence
| On one point information is definite.
General Lee believes the letter of jan
uary last, attributed to General Wey-
| Ter, in which Weyler speaks boastfully
of having prepared Havana harbor so
that Yankee ships could be destroyed,
is genuine. Whether he has seen the
| original is not known, but his opinion
that such letter was written by Wey-
| Ter is clear.
/ Since the Maine disaster is expected
| to be a feature of the general Cuban
! case instead of mere incident the
Consul Generals presence in Washing
| ton may be useful in supplementing
| with later details the information gath
cred by the court of inquiry. General
| Lees personal. opinion was indicated
when the Fern was leaving Havana
harbor Saturday night, and he pledged
those on board with him a silent toast
to the memory of the officers and men
| of the Maine Blown up by a Spanish
mine"
His was the first eye to catch sight OF
! cannon on a Spanish gunboat which
was leveled directly at the Fern, and
kept aimed for several minutes. If
meant for jest, it was an ill-timed jest
| indeed
| The number Of persons who lined the
waters edge on either the city or the
Cabanas side did not exceed a few hun
dred. Nevertheless, their boots and
whistles and calls of "Fuera, fuera,
which is Spanish for "get out" could
not be construed as indicating healthy
! sentiment toward Americans. General
Lees only comment was to call the at
tention of his voyage companions to
the Spanish flag flying over MORO Cas-
| tie. and to tell them that when they re-
turned they would see another flag
| floating there.
| Captain General Blancos refusal to
see General Lee when the latter called
at the palace on Saturday to say good
| bye was an ostentatious affront Blanco
was transacting business and seeing
various persons, but sent word begging
to be excused on the grounds of illness
| Secretary General Congosto was
openly insulting. In the harbor, when
the vessels Evelyn and Olivette went out
/ loaded with Americans. there were soma
| evidences OF ill-feeling, which were
stronger when the coast survey steamer
Bache followed in their wake, but the
crowning exhibition was when the Fern
with Lee and his party left. The cat
calls and boots and whistles did not
come alone from the populace lining the
shore; they also came from the Spanish
gunboats and from the soldiers at LIE
Fuerza fort and at Cabanas. The Span
ish authorities have suspicion that Lee
is going to Washington with the origi-
nal of Weyler's letter about the mines
in the harbor, as we'll as a full plan OF
/ the mines.
| Havana itself for some time to come
! promises to be the most isolated com
munity in the world. Probably if there
! is no outbreak, and none is probable al
/ present, very little news of what is
happening may be transmitted to the
outside world. Nothing is permitted tC
be known of what is going on in either
Madrid or Washington till General
Blanco is ready to have it known. The
contents of President McKinley's mes