Omaha daily bee., 1898-03-09
POSITION OF CONSUL LEE
Americas Official Representative and the
Demand for His Recall.
HAS NO WORD FROM STATE DEPARTMENT
All He Knows of the Matter II what
He Learns from the Havana Pa
pers-Calls the Turn on
COnROstO.

Copyright. 1898, by Press Publishing companyD
HAVANA (via Key Vest, March S.-CNew
York World Cablegram-Special Telegram y
am fortunately able to definitely state the
exact position Of General Lee in respect to
real Spanish attacks upon his official conduct
and alleged Spanish demands for his recall.
Lee knows nothing officially about the de-
mand for his recall. What he gathers from
the scanty and often contradictory cable
notices in the local press constitutes his
sole information on that subject. Not a
word he's been received from the State de-
partment on the subject up to the present
hour, and Lee considers an actual Spanish
Official demand for his recall pure magina-
tion, as the cable notices here made Sagasta
deny having sent such a message. Local
papers also quote Mckinley as being satis-
fed with General Lee, as indeed he must
be IL he has not changed from the original
opinion he expressed to me last year. I'VE
are we'll satisfied with General Lee, and we
hope he will be satisfied with the support
this administration will always give him."
AS would any experienced military man,
| whose duty it is to fully inform his govern
ment General Lee has noted some thirgs
decidedly not favorable to Spain's course of
war and has sometimes thus informed the
State department. This has been particu-
larly so regarding Spans offer Of alleged
! autonomy which now even it's own orig
inators regard as a farce and so state. Lees
views on this question were only confiderl-
TALLY expressed to the State department, but
| somehow they leaked to the Havana gov
ernment's ears. The Spanish legation at
Washington had been doing good work and
the result was the absolutely only official
exchange OF correspondence between General
Lee ard the palace as to the American con-
sui generals views and their bearing upon
| his official acceptibility to Spain.
BREACH OF ETIQUETTE.
About six weeks ago Congosto, either
from the source mentioned or from the
American newspapers quoting sn alleged re-
port OF Lee to the department. saw fit to
write note to Lee, wishing to know II 1t
was true that Lees views did not prog osti-
cate glowing victory for the extensive au-
| tonomy reforms lately in process Of en-
plantation in Cuba.
In Itself this query was a grave breach
| Of diplomatic etiquette. A government off,
| cials reports to his superiors are supposed
! to be sacred. However, Congosto seemed to
think that had Lee such ideas, especially that
| the present autcnomic government Is not
desired by either Spaniards or Cubans, and
that not fitting the wishes OF any element,
it can hardly ever become adopted by ali,
his position in the eyes of Spain would be
decidedly persona non grata" He plainly
threatened Lee with a Spanish demand for
hn oi,,1
nicious ideas. Lee smiled and grasped Con.
gosto's "bull' by the horns. He answered
that should an official document be inscribed
containing the mentioned reasons for his re,
call and should it then be signed by all
| officials of Havana aud Madrid that he
CLee) would then take great pleasure in
| afixing to the document his own signature,
and would forward It, thus completed, to the
government OF the United States Imme-
| diately Congosto subsided and the incident,
| became closed.
| ANOTHER SORE SPOT
General Lee considers that another sore
| spot with the new astronomical secretaries
may be Sigsbee's alleged oversight in not
having called in turn upon each Of the men.
though he had already completely and ex-
! instructions in calling officially upon General
| Parade and Spanish Admiral Manterola.
Before any visits were made General Lee
| wrote to Congosto and the general secretary
asking at what time and upon whom should
Sigsbee call in obeying his instructions to
officially visit the supreme power in the
| island Of It's representatives Congosto
| answered in writing naming General Par
nj
| co.'s absence, as the proper person. Sigsbee
| thereupon called upon Parade in due and
proper form and upon Manterola as we'll.
| But the astronomical cabinet, whose power
| lies chiefly in its title did not like 1t and
Congosto inveigled General Lee and Captain
| Slgsbee into an informal call at cabinet head
quarters in the palace after an official visit
uDon Blanco.
The astronomical secretaries were quickly
| gathered together and every effort was made
to give an official tnge to a strictly acci-
dental visit. Captain Sigsbee, of course,
said he would be glad to receive the gentle
| men personally aboard the Maine. They
went en- masse and proposed an absolutely
| unexpected toast Of official significance. Sigs-
| bee rose to the occasion and returned their
personal sentiments without one word OF
reference to either government or autonomy.
A type-written report of his answer made at
once thereafter shows this, although the
| Havana press quoted him as drinking to the
| success of Cuban autonomy. The cabinet OF
secretaries did not like that. either. And
| Lee, as the man Of most prominent position,
has been covertly attacked ever since the oc-
currence Of the three episodes mentioned.
| FALSE CHARGES.
| As regards the charges OF communicating
with the insurgents, General Lee dubs them
| as absolutely false. He has not followed De
| Lome's methods; has not written letters on
| Cuban affairs even in response to queries of
| important legislators, nor even mentioned
| political matters In letters to his family.
| Outside OF sending an agent in an attempt
to save Colonel Ruiz's life. as authorized by
| Banco, Lee has sent no word to the field
| AS to receiving "presendados" and cap
| tured rebels In the consulate, Lee considers
1t his duty to send all possible information
from both sides to Washington, and receives
all callers at the consulate during his regu-
lar office hours. General Lee and Consul
Barker. just resigned, have always been good
| friends. Spanish attempts to iHslnuate to
the contrary Notwithstanding Barker was
1 wit ha ar1v ~