The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-15
WING UP OF THE MAINE.
n Lee Says Emphatically 1t Was the Work
of Spaniards.
WAS EXPLODED FROM THE ARSENAL.
Ulcers Expert in Electricity Could Have Done Such Work
Eubans Have Only the Skeleton OF a Civil Govern
ment, but Their Army Is Very Good

General Lee then detailed at length the
condition OF the starving Cuoans and the
manner In which supplies were distributed
senator Frye asked various questions IN
regard to physical conditions OF the Spanish
soldiers and the method Of providing for
them, to which General Lee replied that
the condition OF the Spanish soldiers is
very BAD. They are badly clothed and vel
BADLY fed. They are not well organized or
drilled
Senator Frye asked: What is your
ludgment OF the possibility OF Spain con
quering the insurgents and restoring peace
to the is!and9p
Consul General 1.ee-l do not think there
is the slightest possible chance Of their
uoing 1t at all In any way. The same con-
dition OF things existed as when MIR Clcvc-
land asked me to go down there last June
year ago. gave him report three weeks
after ! got there, in which I told him
there was no chance, in my oninion, OF
the Spaniards ever suppressing the insur
rection nor was there any chance OF the
insurrectionists expelling the Spanish so-
diers.
In response to an INQUIRY from Senator
Lodge for his opinion Of the insurgent
government, General Lee said: Il have
never thought that the Insurgents had any
government except the skeleton form of
governments movable capitol. asked
them one day why they did not have some
permanent capital. and | think they gave
me very good reason. They said ii would
require large force to protect and defend
1t. and they could not afford to mass up
their men there. That the capital and the
government of the island had to move
where they could be safest"
General Lee said he did not know any OF
the officials connected with the civil gov
ernment. The armed force would number
probably 31,0po or $4,000. Tho number has
been as high as $4,000 or $1,000 of we'll
armed men The ammunition varies. The
Spanish force was possibly 10000 or 5000
men.
General Lee said that an army of oc-
cupaton could go into the island with
safety now. The climate nor anything else
need prevent them entering Cuba.
General Lee said that when he lief. lIa
Nana the Spanish troops had not been paid
for about nine months nor the Spanish
officers for about tour months,
Senator Daniel asked: "Do you think
General Blanco was lacking in courtesy 10
you on leaving the island9"
General Lee--I went with the Br, sh
consul general. I saw Dr. Congosto. told
him | bad instructions to leave and go to
the United States and called TO pay my
final respects TO General Blanco. He asked
me TO sit down and said he would 20 and
see BlancO. He went off and stayed about
fifteen minutes and came back aud said
the general said please EXCUSE him. ne
was not we'll and was living down I told
DR.. Congosto to say good-b to him and
] turned around and left.
Senator Daniel-Were there any demon
strations of ill-will toward you as you left.
General Lee-When we were coming out
on the steamer there was some cat calling
and some whistling and Spanish EXPIRES
sions MEAN towards, running away and
so on. | think that was confined to the
lower order Of men. however.
Captain Sigsbee, in command OF the
Maine at the time OF the disaster was ex
amined on the 31st of March. He re-
peated his opinion that the Maine was de-
stroyed by NINE either temporary or
permanent
In reply to a question Captain Sigsbee
said he thought II possible that the OK
plosion could have occurred without the
knowledge of the higher officials.
In reply to question as TO what OK
animation the Spanish board made OF the
accident, Captain Sigsbee said: "They
had not done anything for week had not
been down at all. Our people laughed al
them They did very little work on the
wreck; it was absurd as compared WIN
o,,r work"