Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-07

exist entirely by the sufferance OF the ma
tons to which they are sent In their case
/. IS not necessary nor usual to request
Their home government to recall them.
They live officially through an exequatur.
granted by the government to which they
are accredited, and this may be withdrawn
at any moment. So Consul General Lee
may be dismissed from his post at the
pleasure of the Spanish government, and
this would not violate any section of in
ternational law.
Gen. Lees Position Untrue,
But lie is. in one respect, unique in that
he is endowed with semi-diplomatic pow-
ers, by the wish of our government and by
the consent of the Spanish government
The request of the Spanish government for
his recall may. therefore, be regarded as
tantamount to demand for the recall of
an Objectionable minister-such for in
stance, as was Senior Dupuy de LONE.
1here must be scme substantial or salts
factory reason for such a demand, and as
the administration of Gen. Lee has re-
ce1ved the full sanction ard approval of
President Mckinley, the demand was not
entertained. Under such circumstances the
ii cident would close unless Spain took the
decisive steps of insisting on Gen. Lees
recall, and, this failing, giving him /. his
exequatur.
The Matter Of the Ships.
The action regarding the cruiser Mont
gomery and the gunbeat Nashville is look
ed upon by officials here as much less
grave than that affecting General Lee
Secretary Long said last night that he did
IN urh Chi
should carry the relief supplies as serious
in any way. or likely to present any
perplexing ISSUES. The desire of the Navy
Department. Mr. Long said, was merely
to get the supplies to Cuba on the most
available vessel. There are three vessels
at Key West. the Montgomery, Nashville
and Fern, alike available for the service,
ard one of these, Mr.. Long said, will be
designated for the trip. The Fern is
dispatch boat rather than an armed naval
vessel, and her availability for this mis-
sion had not previously been suggested.
Her choice would probably remove all
ground for objection. as she had none of
the characteristics of war vessel. Mr..
Long said, however. that the only de-
cision thus far reached was that one OF
the naval vessels-Montgomery, Nashville
or Fern-should make the trip. AS this is
the first time mention has been made of
the Fern in connection with carrying the
supplies 1t may be inferred that she viii
make the trip.
The official. orders, however continue to
stand as they We're originally made, desig-
mating the Montgomery and Nashville but
these could be changed readily if the Fern
was felt to be best suited for the work.
The naval officials have felt from the first
that the Montgomery and Nashville were
I'll adapted for carrying supplies. They are
essentially fighting machines and every
inch of available room is taken with their
own supplies of cordage. canvas, coal. ETC.
This was so apparent that the plans con-
templated putting the relief supplies on
deck. covering them with tarpaulin, and
trusting to the weather and quick trip
to keep the provisions and clothing from
damage.
The Fern. not being SO essentially a
fighting machine, but more of the type of
a yacht for the speedy conveyance of
naval dispatches, has considerable more
room for slowing supplies, both below and
on deck The Cuban relief committee
counted on sending - tons to Key West,
but this has now been increased to 1UJ
tons 1t left New York on the Mallory
line of boats Saturday, and is due at Key
West Wednesday. The transfer will take
day. and the plan has been to have the
government ship start Thursday for Cuba.
The decision of the administration to send
supplies to the reconcentradoes in Cuba
was arrived at early in the week. Gen. Lee
had represented that he had been unable
TO distribute the goods that had been re-
ceived in answer to the proclamation of
the President TO the American people. He
reported that many tons of these supplies
were stored in Havana and could not be
forwarded to the eastern end of the island
The United States consuls at MatanZas and
Sague la Grande had come in person to
Havana to seek for relief after reporting
to the State Department the terrible condi-
tions existing in their respective districts
The State Department Immediately insti-
tuted inquiries, and learning that the orig
inal decree of the Spanish government au-
thorizing the free admission of supplies
applied only to the port of Havana, secured
permission for the free reception of these
supplies at all ports.
The next obstacle met was the difficulty
of transshippng the goods from Havana
eastward. there being semi-weekly serv-
ice by steamer. and that subject to many
NeXallouS local restrictions. When the
United States cruiser Montgomery returned
from her cruise. which included the Cuban
ports of Matanzas and Santiago the Off
GERS brought narrowing tales of the dis
tress existing there.
What Capt. CrowninshieId Learned
Captain Crownirshieid, the chief of the
navigation bureau of the Navy Depart
ment. an officer of the soundest discretion
and Judgment. was on the ship. an acct
dental passenger He told President Nc
kinley directly what he had learned
The result the immediate decision of
the Navy Department to accede to the re-
quest of the relief committee in New York
to forward their supplies to the eastern
ports of Cuba. One of the American lines
of steamships running TO New York had
offered 10 take the contributions of the
American people to Key West, and tie
President himself gave the order for their
carriage to eastern Cuba by any of the
available ships of the North Atlantic
squadron.
The announcement of the purpose of the
government to send supplies to Cuba on