Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-13
DE LONE INCIDENT.
WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT STILL
WAITING ON woODFORD.
RECIPROCITY AND AUTONOMY.
These Points, Discredited by the
Spanish Minister, the serious rae
torx-Doubts Thrown ON Them by
De LONE Must he Cleared Up.

extra diplomatic III tue cOho"Ne VI <N''
can affairs in Cuba.
There has been no response received at
the state Department from Minister
Woodford. in regard to an apology Tor
the utterances of Senior de Jome's pub
lished letter.
Whether the United States Government
has demanded an apology, through Min
lister Woodford, for the expressions of
Senior de LONE Is a matter of doubt here.
1t is given out at the State Department
that an apology has been demanded from
the Spanish Government, through Minis
ter Woodford. for the statement IN DE
Lome's letter that the Spanish programme
of autonomy is merely a trick TO deceive
the United States. on the other hand,
friends of the late Minister from Spain
claim he has been betrayed by people
here In Washington, and that when his
communications were sent abroad they
were closely watched in the Post-Office
Department up TO the shipment OF the
mails to Cuba and Spain. They charge
that De Lome's letter TO CanaleJas was
intercepted in the United States mails,
and that it was held for a sufficient time
TO enable it to reach its destination In
Cuba, and then given TO a New YORK
newspaper, after the envelope had been
destroyed. The envelope, of course,
would have given evidence Of the place
at which the letter was intercepted.
The delicacy of the situation hinges
upon the probable theft of this letter
from the United States mails, the stolen
property being now in the possession OF
the State Department. With the inti-
mated demand Of an apology from the
spanish Government for DE Lome's ex-
pressions, the situation tonight seems 10
be critical.
OUR GOVERNMENTS POLICY.
WASHINGTON. February r. The
policy of the administration concerning
the De LONE incident can be stated
briefly and definitely-and on authority
not open to question-as follows
The President is awaiting the full re-
port Of United States Minister Woodford,
who. in the brief report already made
stated that fuller details would be for
of the late Minister TO the President ere
concerned. the incident is undoubtedly
closed. No demand has been made or
will be made, according to present inten-
lions for a dsavowal of them, though
should such an avOwal be made, IL
would be regarded as graceful act.
R,,t the differences i'm the letter which
bring in question SPANS good faith On
the questions of reciprocity, and INFER
entially. of autonomy for Cuba, II not
disavowed voluntarily, may became the
subject of further diplomatic corre-
spondence, though. as to the matter, as
had been stated heretofore, the President
win await Minister Woodfords fuller add
vices before anything is decided upon.
This feature of the eX-Ministers letter
is entirely ASSOCIATED from the personal
aspect which resulted in his retirement
1t is confidently expected by this govern
ment that Spain will take early oppor-
tunity to disavow the statements Of It's
late representative, as far as they tend
TO commit Spain to policy which leaves
her good faith open to serious doubt. 1t
is felt to be most desirable that this gov
eminent should have no doubt as TO
Spain's real purposes and feelings on
these vital questions, which have De-
come subjects for controversy or are
likely to become so.
Minister Woodford has not yet forward
ed the full report of the interview had
by him with the Spanish Foreign Office.
SPANS POSITION.
A point which may become Of interest
is the action of the Spanish Government
in accepting the resignation OF Minister
De LONE without disclaming RESPONSE
bility for any of the utterances con-
talned IN his letter.
The Spanish Government Il is said, may
not be aware OF the contents OF the let
ter. There is reason TO believe that when
it acted upon Mr. De Lome's resignation,
the Spanish Foreign Office did not have
before it the full text of the letter, and
that it may not have it yet, and that II
may have acted on the assumption that
| the document contained only personal
| criticisms upon the President. In this
/ case the statements respecting the au-
| tonomy and reciprocity measures, which,
| II appears, are regarded as Of greater I'M
portance than the personal criticisms
| passed by the minister upon the Presi-
| dent. may not have been known to tho
| Spanish Government.
The fact that Senior Canalejas, the per-
son addressed by the Minister. who is
now In Madrid, is said TO have declared
TO the government that he never received
| the letter. would warrant such an as
sumption, unless the cable has been free
| ly used by the Spanish legation here.
| for this government has not cabled the
| letter.
| At the Spanish legation affairs have
| assumed a normal condition. Senior Du
| Rose Is I'm charge. He did not go to The
1 n 7.
| ternoon he made calls on the foreisn rep
resentatiyes. thus fulfilling the social
duty by which the fact Of his assuming
| charge of the post is made known &c
| them.
| DE LONE PACKING UP.
| Senior De LONE is busy winding up his
| affairs and preparing for departure. The
time of his leaving has not been set
| Nine De LONE Is directing the unexpect
eddy hasty work of packing. and reports
| of her being Frustrated by the recent oc
currence are groundless.
No intimation has come 10 any one o.
| the legation as to the new minister. Th'
several names mentioned in the news
papers are well known, but all common
Is purely conjectural.
REPRESENTATIVE Lewis, of Washington
has prepared joint resolution, which h
will offer In the House on Monday, ex
pressing il TO be the sense OF the Hous
and Senate that the President decline e
recognize the resignation of Senior ID
LONE. the Spanish Minister. and instead
inform him that he is persona non grata
CABI.EGRAM FROM WOODFORD.
WASHINGTON, February 2.-Late 10
night the State Department received
cablegram from Minister Woodford.