The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-01-25

nn&ui1ffAt1on 10 the very beginning OF I'M
Cuban insurrection in deciding out Of ex'
cesnive caution and an oyerweening regart
Tor the sensibslities OF the Spanish pnblI'
% abandon the practice which had beer
pursued BY our naval department for Year,
past Of sending our warships At icurvai'
/ on cruises through the West Indies that
frequently included stops at Havana. j
was not thought consistent with our Ma
tional pride that this practice. common 10
all maritime nations, should have been
abandoned or suspended and Il was be-
jieved that II It had been consistently adj
! hered to there mover would have been any
complaint OF tho movements OF our ships
from Spanish sources. Besides. all IA
lions have exercised tho right TO maintain
\ at least small naval force at ports In
habited by any considerable number OF
their countrymen and there were signs OF
trouble that threatened their safety or
their property. Therefore the ndninistfa-
ton some time ago came to the conclusion
that It would take steps to restore the
old order OF things and allow our warshps
to cruise freely and touch Cuban ports
az coon as the change could be made With
out leading to misconstruction and with
out being interpreted as war measure,
when as matter OF fact nothing was
further from the intentions Of the pres!-
dent
The first movement in tile direction OF
the old practice was made last fall before
tho rcassembling OF congress. when secro-
tary Long announced through the Associ-
ated Press his purpose tc send the entire
Atlantic squadron TO the Dry Tortiisas
harbor for their winter evoutions. which
for several years past, or ever since TIE
beginning of the Cuban insirrection, had
been performed with difficulty and under
all kinds pf liscouraging conditions of wind
and weather off Chesapeake Cape. The
movement being received with eqlanimity.
the next step followed when some OF our
little gunboats were sent to cruise In the
West indies, the Wilmington and the An
napolIs being now in those waters, II only
remained to send one of our ships to HAY
ana 10 completely restore the old prac-
tlce.
than had been called for previously and 1t
was not until tho administration had sat
isfled Itself that conditions in Hayana had
quoted and resumed the normal state that
existed before the recent military rioting
against the newspapers that 1t WAS deemed
timely to mako the last move This de-
clslon was not rachel without considara-
tion of the results that might follow.
The Spanish minister. Senior Dupuy De-
LONE. was an early caller at the state de-
partmont. his purpose being TO advise with
the officials relative to the negotiation OF
reciprocity treaty For Cuba under tue
terms OF the present tariff act This pur-
pose in itself NAV hc regarded az nm evil
Deuce OF the confidence OF both parties IN
The security OF the ontlouk. After his visit
Assistant Secretary Day repaired TO the
White House, and there wax a Eotablo
gathering around the president. including
Secretary Long OF the navy ard General
Miles, tho commander OF The army. All
callers were donied access 10 tue ,siye&S
dem '5-aipon. much To their dhosrln. fthIs
pepg The day OF The week which Is more
lnrsciy assigned 10 congressional callers
the conference lasted nearly m dour, and
when 1t broke IN II was with erory evil
dence Of serenity and confidence IN the
peaceful outlook taat the members dis
ptTssus pcIitihTS Long WAS ehsIuGt1u with
the duty of making public Statement coli
corning the Names orders, nnd tho reason
therefor
Secretary Long said; 80 far from there
being any foundation for the rumors yes
tcrday OF trouble at Havana innttcrs are
nov In such condition that our vessels arc
going to resume their former positions at
Cuban ports, and 20 in and out inst as
the vessels OF Other nations do. The Maine
viii 20 In n day or two ON lust such
visit The department. has issued orders
for vessels &c attend the public coicbra-
tions at Mobile and the mardl gras ut New
Orleans, and for the torpedo Loaf flotilla
TO visit Galveston. Texas"
At the Spanish legation nothing was
known Of the orders OF the Maino TO pro-
ceed to Havana. Minister DeLome said that
even In case IL were irue, Il porlonded
nothing serious. II was perfectly Ia ac-
cordance with the rsages OF Marshps OF
two friendly POWERS to enter and leave each
others ports, The warsnips Of spain had
visited American ports on COMPLIMENTARY
missions three times In as many years, ard
II there had not been nm american wArship
III Havana In the same length of timo IL
was merely because the United States goy
there. As TO the possible consequences of
the Names appearance ut Havana at this
time. the minister expressed himself as not
al all uneasy. There was no doubt, he
SAID. OF the conservative behavior uf loyal
Spaniards IN Havana aud elsewhere. aud
the. only remote contingency which might
lead to unpleasant consequences was some
overt att on the mart OF ths insurgent SYM
pathizers committed with hope ~ an
proiiinG spain and the United States i'm lust
such an Incident MS happened with The Raj.
Chile. :"
IN RESPONSE to an inquiry the minister
said that II was not customary and a mari
Of diplomatic usage for one country 10 no,
tify the diplomatic representatives AZ an
other country In advance that IL intended
TO send war vessel to the waters Of tho
other nation VI
The statement OF Minister Dol.ome makes
IT apparent that the Spanish goycrnment
VIII not regard the dispatch Of TIM Maine
to Havana as a hostile act aud equivalent
20 breach OF the friendly relations be-
tween the two countries.
The Maine, which has been selected for |
the visit 10 Havana for the protection az |