New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-17
CONGOSTO EXCITED AGAIN.
HIS CURIOUS DEMAND OF THE BRITISH
CONsUL-GENERAL AT HAVANA
CONDUCT OF THE FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES, IN
crBA-rHE DEPARTURE OF THE MAINE
coURr-sPEc1LATIoN As TO ITS
FINDINGS - THE MILL
TARY SITUATION.
rRY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRTnrNrl

FINDINGS - THE MILL
TARY sIrUATroN.
inv -r,rcp,ru TO THE TnInrYyl
Havana via Key West. March lo-Secretary-
General Congosto has furnished another in'eEha-
tional incident. His latest exploit interests '"7
Consular representatives Of European govern
ments In Havana. on Tuesday Congos,o ca'ieu
m the British Consul-General, Mr.. Golih' III
great excitement. and demanded TO Know II II
v ere true that the Prince Of Wales nad oeciareu
in favor Of American intervention IN 'uph anu
rad intImated that England would upholu sue"
action Congosto also wanted an ekpiaha'ion 'I
the alleged circumstance that Eneush anu
American flags were flying together AT ouo""
demonstration In New-York. The Brltlsh NoH
suI-C;eneral was not able 70 INFORM MIN dS ~
the correctness Of either report ana hau no
official message to communicate regarding t'ie
Prince ~ Wales or the attitude OF the Enghsh
Government.
conposto,s call on Consul Collin was in keep
ing with his demand for an explanation from
General Lee when the latter was sald 10 nave
roported officially 10 the State Department the
failure Of autonomy.
It shows the great tension under wnioh '"7
Spanish officials are laboring and their ahAie'y
regarding the attitude Of European govern
toward
European consuls have reported Intervention as
inevitable is we'll understood. and the authorl-
ties are sensitive on the subject. The German
representative has been strictly neutral from
the beginning. The italian Consul also mas
given no indications favorable 10 Spanish SOW
ereiynty The Austrian Consuls position mas
been governed by the Queen Regents Austrian
blood His action in ostentatiously contributing
$500 to local society which IS raising funds
70 build a Spanish war vessel is accepted by the
Spanish classes as practical evidence Of the sup
port Of the Government he represents.
II there Is anything in the incident to form the
basis Of diplomatic representation by the United
States. the explanation Will probably be that
though the Consular representative OF Austria
he is Spanish citizen, and his contribution was
made as private individual
THE COURTS WORK ENDED
Tho departure OF Captain Sampson and as
sociates on the Naval Board Of Inquiry Is
taken 10 mean that they wanted 70 be IN
more direct communication with washington
Whether Judge Acknowledgement Mark VIII
nroceed at once 10 the Capital is not known
The return OF the Board 70 Havana was Ielt
onen vet there is nothing to bring It back. The
Maine Is sinking deeper into the mud. the
spnerstructure of the wreck Is nearly all cleared
V,
Little has been added this week to the evidence
tbs. the keel was broken by outside explo-
sion The first proofs on this point were so
conclusive as 10 leave nothing for confirmation
Divers have been left on duty. but their labors
are confined 10 bringing up wreckage. HOW far
tho BOARD has found evidence which would ilH
the identity Of the persons who blew up the snip
10 contectural The intination made Is that IN
giving a full review Of facts on which report
indicating foul play is based no reference VIII
he made to the supposed identity or the con-
spirators. ,
The Board will neither by implication hold the
SPANISH authorities responsible nor acquit theni
Of responsibility. The probability Is that Au-
r1iral Sicard will be able to transmit the Board
findings 10 the Navy Department withn "eeN
LITTLE is heard OF the investigation OF the
Spauish Court Of Inquiry. Captain PeraI sus-
gestion that the hull could be raised Dy means
of floating dock is ridicued py ro,ostions
theless that may be included in the proposItlohs
to be made later. when the spanish Cou,t ie
ports that the explosion Of the Maine was Que 70
an accident Of nature that cannot be eHac''y
determined.
CONDITIONS WORSE FOR SPAIN
General Blanco's telegram 70 the Spanish Min
lister In Washington saying that the conditions
In Cuba have improved is exciting sarcastic
comment. The condition Of the starving popu-
improving
from the United States are finally being dis
tributed among the sufferers. The military stu
alton is no better for Spain War news is man
ufactured for consumption at Madrid. Official
reports relate mainly 10 operations in Santiago
Province That Is so far away that 1t cannot
he Immediately contradicted. In the central
and western provinces the Spanish troops were
never so much on the defensive as at present.
Gomez ls gradually increasing the insurgent
forces in Matanzas and Havana provinces and
preparing them for a movement west toward
Havana City.
This is done however. by small bands. Gomezs
plans apparently do not contemplate bringing
large force together at any point Tho dem raj
zation Of the spanish military authority Is
shown by the successful attacks made by In
surgents on passenger trains near Campo Flori-
do. That is fifteen miles from Havana anc Is
a Spanish cavalry station.
The political complications for the Government
Increase. The evident disposition i3 10. throw
the responsibility on the Au'onomist cabinet
as the means Of avertng crisis in Madrid
The Intransigentes in several places are con
testing for the honor OF naming Weyier as 'helr
candidate for Deputy in the Cortes
While the warship Vizcaya is cOaling nothing
definite is given out regarding her destination
The authorities let IT be known that she VIII
probably visit Mexican ports where loyal span
iards have been engaged in raising subs'rip,
tons FOR the Navy. However the Nizcaya WIN
rot 20 very far away from the coast OF Cuoa
The Intransicente press continues 10 eulcgize
the Navy as means Of repelling foreign az
gression. meaning American Intervention
WILL. NOT TALK OF SELLING CUBA.
sr,yr-oFFIcrAL STATEMENT OK THE suBJEcT
GIVEN OUT At MADRID
Madrid March 16.-A semi-oifcial agency to-
day publishes the following announcements
1T is useless 10 talk Of th@ sale OF Cuba Ihe
question could not be arranged except oy Farna-
rNt-h
ment and II is impossible that any 0p'hiSh
Chamber would agree 10 sell the island at any