Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-02-14
WRITES AN OFFENSIVE LETTER
REGARDING MCKINLEY.
INSULTS THE PRESIDENT
Spanish Minister Declines to Deny the
Authorship of the Letter and the
State Department Lays the Matter
Before His Government-An Official
Statement

washington, Feb. l0.-The publlca-
ton of what purported to be an auto
graph letter written by Dupuy De
Lone, the Spanish minister, to a
friend, Canalejas, criticising President
Mckinley with the utmost freedom, has
caused a sensation in official circles of
Washington and will soon be followed
| by De Lome's departure from the
| United States. At the outset there was
| a disposition to question the authenti-
city of the letter, but as bit by bit of
| circumstantial evidence accumulated
until it was finally announced officially
that the minister had declined to deny
the authorship of the letter, all doubt
was dissipated and the only question
that remained was as to the line of ac-
ton to be pursued by our government
toward the offending minister. The
writing of this letter is unquestionab1y
an offense against the amenities of
diplomatic relations and such offenses
almost invariably have been regarded
in the United States as in other CAPT
tolls as sufficient ground for the term
iration of the official status of the let
Ter writer. AS soon as the letter ap-
peared in the press the state depart
ment officials began an effort
to settle it's authenticity and
when they had learned all that
could be developed on this point
and had been told that the minister
himself refused to deny writing it, con-
sideration of the next step
began. Assistant Secretary Day was
in consultation with the president on
the subject at least four times during
the official day, and then spent much
time in framing a message to United
States Minister Woodford at Madrid
The official statement on the sending
OF this message was accompanied by
declination to indicate its contents at
this time, the department merely Civ
ing to the press the following state
ment: sDe LONE does not deny writ
ing the letter This department has
been in communication with General
WOodford ON the subject. Until that
communication reaches Spain it would
be Improper to in any manner state
the contents of the message to Gen
eral WOOdfOrd. " While the de-
partment refused to add anything to
this meager announcement it can be
stated without question that Woodford
is directed to lay the fact developed be-
fore Spain together with the state
ment that in view of the minister's
refusal to deny the authorship of the
letter the Spanish government is
looked to with confidence to deal with
the case properly. This amounts to
an invitation to recall the minister,
presuming that he himself has not al
ready taken steps to vacate his posi-
ton. No doubt is entertained that
compliance with the implied sugges-
ton, but in case there should be un-
due delay in acting the state depart
ment would feel called upon to move
directly in the matter and give the
minister his passports as was done
when Sir Julian Pauncefote's
predecessor wrote the celebrated
Murchison letter.
The De LONE incident was almost
the sole topic of conversation among
the members of the house. The con-
tents of the letter are considered such
a manifest breach of diplomacy that
many refused to credit it. Chairman
Hit of the foreign affairs committee,
Chairman Dingley of the ways and
means committee, and other leading
republicans declined to express any
opinion at this time. On the assump-
ton that the letter is authentic, how
ever, the opinion was almost unani-
nous that no self-respecting govern
ment could tolerate such criticism of
It's chief executive and that Minister
De Lomes words had put an end to
his usefulness in this capital. Some
fear was also expressed that the recall
OF De LONE, while affairs are in their
present delicate condition, might pre-
clpitate a crisis. The democrats were
much more free in an expression of
opinion than the republicans. Mr..
Berry (dem., KY, a member of the
foreign affairs committee, said that if
the letter proved to be genuine the
Spanish minister would be made to
walk the plank. "a diplomatic Of
ficer who would so far forget the first
principles of his profession as to SO
far outraegously criticise the official
head OF the country to which he is
credited is not deserving of svnona+hv
His government should be notified as
soon as the genuineness of the letter
is established that he is persona
non grata." Senator Cullom of the
foreign relations committee said: "The
genuineness of the letter is too uncer-
tain to justify its discussion, but if
it is genuine De LONE should certainly
receive dismissal