Warren sheaf., 1898-03-10
GEN. FITZHUGH LEE.

subject. The disclosures from Madrid
left no further ground for reticence in
Washington, *and after conference
at the white house between the presi-
dent, Assistant Secretary Day, o.: the
state department, and Secretary Long,
of the navy department, the following
authorized statement was given out by
Judge Day, as comprising everything
that was to be said by the adninistra-
tion on the subject:
President Refuses.
'The president will not consider the re-
call Of Gen. Lee. He has borne himself
throughout this crisis with judgment, fdel-
ity and courage, to the presidents entire
satisfaction.
LAS to the supplies for the relief of the
Cuban people, all arrangements have been
made to carry a consignment this week
from Key West by one of the naval vessels,
whichever may be best adapted and most
available for the purpose. to Matanzas and
,Sagua."
Beyond the foregoing 8 those who had
participated in the conference at the
white house would not discuss the sub
ject, and it was stated positively that
the authorized statement comprised
everything that would be given to any
one. Although the officials here are
noncommittal on the subject it is be-
lieved that the request of Gen. Lees re-
call was made at least a day or two ago,
and that the Spanish government, after
receiving the reply of the state depart
ment, has not insisted either upon>Lee's
recall or upon its contention that the
relief supplies should not be sent to
Cuba in naval vessels.
The advices from Madrid, toeether
with the authoritative statement here,
left no room for doubt as to what had
occurred. The request for Gen. Lees
recall is understood to have come with
in the last few days and doubtless since
the last cabinet meeting on Friday, as
no reference was made to it at that
time:: 1t came through Minister Wood
ford, somewhat unusual procedure,
as the common mode Of requesting the
withdrawal of minister or consul is
through the representative of the GOV
ernment making the request, which in
this case is Senior Du Bose, the Spanish
charge d'affairs. Mr.. Du Bose has re-
ceived no instructions on the subject
and was in complete Ignorance of the
demands made through Minister Wood
fcrd. The other suggestion of the
Spanish government-that relief s,1p-
plies should not be sent in war vessels
did not come through Minister Wood
ford, as the Madrid dispatches state, but
was presented by Senor Du Bose to the
state department. last Friday.
No Reason for Il Change.
The responses in both cases went di-
rect to Minister Woodford. There was
no loss of time, however, in assembling
a special session of the cabinet or even
in any general conference between the
president and his cabinet advisers in
dividually. In the protest against the
Montgomery and Nashville, Judge Day
conferred with Secretary Long, who in
turn called in Capt. Crowninshield,
chief Of the bureau Of navigation: There
appears to be no reason why change
hould be made in the plan for sending
these ships on the relief mission, and
without attaching grave significance to
the request Of the Spanish government,
the answer was made that the plans for
the trip were completed and that the
stay of the ships would be brief and of
the most pacific character.
The round Oh which Gen. Lees re-
call was asked are not officially dis
closed. 1t is known, however, that the
Spanish government has 5chaNedss z for
some time over Gen. Lees presence in
Havana, although this had never taken
the form of definite protest prior to
the present time. 2 n. ~
a.. ~ asae5a,. fs&a =, s'. II 2