The San Francisco call., 1898-03-07

vile is looked upon by officials here as much less grave than that aHectlhe General Lee. Secretary Long said to- night he did not regard the question as to what ship should carry the releI supplies as serious in any way, or as likely to present any perplex1ng issues The desire of the Navy Department Mir. Long said, was merely to set the supplies to Cuba on the most aValiapie vessel. There were three Of these now at Rev West-the Montgomery, Nash- vile and Fern-alike available TOT the service. and one of these, MT. Long said. would be designated for the trlp. The Fern is a dispatch boat an ull- armed naval vessel, and her aYaliapll- itv for this mission had not previously been suggested. Her choice would nrobably remove all ground for objec- lion as she has none of the character istics of a war vessel MT. Long said, however, that the only decision thus far reached was that one of the naval Is-Montgomery, Nashville or Fern-should make the trip.
 As this is the first time public men tion has been made of the Fern in con nection with carrying the supplies 1t might be inferred that she will make the trip. The official orders, however continue to stand as they were orlg1- nally made, designating the Montgom- 1 cry and Nashville, but these could be | changed readily if the Fern was be- lieved to be best suited for the work. The naval officers have felt from the first that the Montgomery and Nash vile were lilly adapted for carrying SUD- niles. They are essentially fighting ma- l chimes. and every inch of available | room is taken by their own supplies of cordage. canvas and coal. This was so apparent that the plans contemplated putting the relief supplies on deck cov- ering them with tarpaulins and trust ing to the weather and quick trip to keep the provisions and clothing from | damage. The Fern, not being essen | tially a fighting machine, but more o1 the type of yacht for the speedy con- veyance of naval dispatches, has con- | siderably more room for the slowing of supplies, both below and on deck
 The Cuban relief committee counted on sending seventy-hve tons to Key
 West, but this has now been increased | to one hundred tons. It left New YorF
 on one of the Mallory line of boats yes
 terday and is due at Key West nex1
 Wednesday. The transfer will take | day. and the plan has been to have the | Government ship start next Thursday
 for Cuba.
 The decision of the administration tt
 send supplies to the reconcentrados 1T
 Cuba was arrived at early in the week
 General Lee had represented that he
 had been unable to distribute the | goods that had been received in answer
 to the proclamation of the President
 to the American people. He reported
 that many tons of these supplies were | stored in Havana and oould not be for. l warded to the eastern end of the isl
 and. The United States Consuls al
 Matanzas and Sagua Ia Grande hao
 come in person to Havana to seek fol
 relief after reporting to the State De
 partment the terrible conditions exist | ing in their respective districts.
 l The State Department immediately
 instituted inquiries, and, learning tha the original decree of the Spanish Gov | ernment authorizing tn, free admission
 of supplies applied only to the port o | Havana, obtained permission for tht
 free reception of these supplies at al ports.
 The next obstacle met was the diff
 culty of transhipping thel goods iron