Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-08


Satisfactory to the Spanish Gov
ernment, and Thus the Second
Part of the Incident Is Closed.
Washington. March IA confer
ence between Judge Day and Senior Du
Bose, the Spanish charge d'affaires,
attracted great interest to-day, as it
was thought that Mr. Du Bose brought
late dispatches which would serve to
make the situation definite. The talk
was surrounded with the greatest
secrecy and the parties interested
would not discuss the situation, but it
was learned that Mr.. Du Bose brought
no dispatches Of any kind nor had he
received any instructions from his gov
eminent The purpose of his call was
not TO make representations on either
OF the incidents, but to ascertain what
official basis there was for the pub
liShed reports that request had been
made for Gen. Lees recall. AS to
this, MIR. Du Bose had not received
a word from his government. This
led him to the belief that a misap-
prehension had arisen on the subject
and that any representation which had
been made concerning Gen Lee had
not gone to the extent of a formal
request for his withdrawal. 1t was
supposed that Mr.. Du Bosc's call at
the State Department would clear up
this misapprehensiOn. This was not
the case, however. and after the con-
ference he continued to have the strong
impression that the representations
concerning Gen. Lee had not been in
the nature of request for his recall.
This view was not the result Of any
official knowledge as to what had oc
Cured, but from the fact that neither
the Madrid officials nor those of Wash
ington had made HIM aware OF any
act having that solemnity and for
mality of a request for the with
drawal of a consul general. In view
Of the doubt existing, Mr. Du Bose
took occasion TO
CABLE TO HIS GOVERNMENT
with a view of learning the exact
status of affairs. In the meantime,
while not being in position to give
an official denial to the reported re-
quest for Gen. Lees withdrawal, Span
lsh officials discussed the possibilities
Of a misrepresentation arising out of
past Incidents Some time ago the
published reports of Gen. Lees SYM
pathy with the insurgents came to the
attention of the authorities at Madrid.
1t resulted in considerable animadver
sion, more in the line of official criti
cism than direct action. 1t did not,
as far as is known. result in any Off
cial protest against Gen. Lees course.
The sending of relief supplies to
Cuba by naval vessels underwent no
change as the result of Mr.. Du Bosc's
call On this matter he was fully in
formed, as it was through him that the
request had been made that the sup
plies be sent on merchant vessels III
stead of warships. Since making the
request the Spanish government has
added nothing further to define its at
titude Mr. Du Bose has felt from
the first that it would be far more de-
sirable in the present condition of af-
fairs to have the supplies go by 4
transport or merchant vessel, and be
thought this view would be shared by
the officials here. He still feels that
a satisfactory understanding on the
subject will be reached He dismissed
the idea in speaking Of the matter to-
day that in any event there is
ANY SERIOUS SIGNIFICANCE
in a request Of this kind He views it
as a suggestion which now any govern
ment might make concerning its own
ports which by universal custom are
regulated as to entrance and clearance
~ nv q rules nf the home
government,
The decision of the navy department
concerning the sending of ships to
Cuba was made known at o'clock this
afternoon when the following brief
statement was posted by the bureau
of navigation
Montgomery will relieve the Fern
at Havana. Fern will carry provisions
to Matanzas and Sagua la Grande,'
This conclusion was reached after
conferences between the officials Of the
State and Navy departments, and is
understood to be such an arrangement
as viii not lead to further objection by
the Spanish government.
The Fern is a dispatch boat without
heavy armament or guns, although she
belongs to the navy and is technically
a naval NeSSel. ms SIG SpiiiCo st' iiSNi
being transport as anything in our
naval service her selection will accord
with the Spanish suggestion that a
transport or merchant ship undertake
this carriage Of relief supplies.
The sending of the Montgomery to
Havana is primarily intended to re-
place the Fern which is now at Ha-
vana. The Montgomery is
AN UNARMORED CRUISER
Of 2,0S9 tons with an armament OF ~
guns
The plans Of the navy department
are to have the Montgomery start FOR
Havana at once. in order that the Fern
NAV return to Key West In time TO
take on the relief supplies, reaching
there next Wednesday. 1t Will be the
second visit of the Montgomery to Gu
Ia as she has only recently returned
from a trip to Santiago de Cuba and
Matanzas.
Captain Crowninshield, the chief OF
the bureau of navigation, says that
10 time has been fixed for the stay OF
the Montgomery at Havana, as the
only decision thus far reached IS that
she will replace the Fern there for the
present.
The Montgomery will be the first Y.
IJoyouo cinpp the Maine