The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-18
THE MAINE 70 REMAIN ATKBY WEST
Consul-Genera TcIeErnphu That Matters Are
Quiet tn Havana.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE battleship Maine
will not leave Key West for. target practice, as
reported in the newspapers last week. until the
other vessels of the North Atlantic Squadron
arrive off that port. Statements that she would
put to sea u day or two before the squadron
reached the Florida coast and join the flagship
were erroneous. 1t was learned at the Navy
Department to-day that the Maine had received
no orders to engage in gunnery exercise. Adj
miral Sicard,will communicate with her when
his formidable array Of armorclads approaches
her present station. 1t Is his purpose to send
one of his ships into Key West harbor to tell
Capt. Sigsbee that the squadron is waiting for
the Maine. The naval authorities do not want
the entire feet to anchor Off Key West for fear
that. its presence there will be the basis OF in
cendiary rumors, and in his instructions to COM
manding officers Admiral Sicard said that no
| vessel should go there unless expressly directed
or in case of emergency.
One telegram containing reference to the stu
alton in Havana was received at the utate Do.
partment from Consul en- eral Lee to-day. It
was timed 2:45 P. NJ, and said that up TO 2:15
p. NJ. matters were quiet" This meagre in
formation was tagged to the end of a despatch
sent by the Consul-General in answer to an in
quiry from the department, based on complaints
that tho relief supplies shipped from the United
Havana on account of irksome Custom House
restrictions. 1t is worthy of note, however,
nal the DrleI mention OF the SITUATION Dy HCH.
Leo was given out officially by IT, department
in a typewritten bulletin placed on the bulletin
board IN the office OF the chief clerk. All the
other information sent by Gen. Lee about tho
Havana disturbances was not made public off,
cially. The meaning of the action to-day is
that the Government wants to quiet, apprchcn-
that the trouble in the Cuban capital is over.
has hus bee restored pSrmanentiy "a and looks for
further outbreaks of a more serious character.
from an l1nptlrl1l SnnrCn that the American
Consulate in Havana had been attacked and
Gen. Lee killed. Tho fact that the, despatch
from the Consul-General was received after the
rumor had been in circulation some time, cor
roborated tho statement of the department that
A telegram wasssent to Gen. Lee asking for
information regarding, the statement that re-
lief dS Supplies osmnoi IN De tn 1s"a dav w't Genl f Tee!s re.
ponsc came. The text Of his despatch was not
made public. but ITS contents were para
"C~onsul.Gcnera Lee wires the Department OF
State that the delay in the delivery of supplies
gana. rho viGilencia, beqrinE supplies from
R Riil Ss ho delay SR1 X tS ssF dcii7s sP,a 81 'he an SUPPLIES 5Rfes
! and lie thinks that there will be no difficulty
her. after in n Landing so{h +. %sMSpp ideS,v He reports mat
New York. She bore food. clothing, and medi-
tee, of which Stephen 4. Barton is Chairman.
Despite the statement that everything at the
havana emu OF tHe TcleI bcncno Is progressing
smoothly. there is a belief here that the Span
ish and Cuban authorities are dissatisfied be-
cause the supplies were purchased in this coun-
try and not In Havana. The understanding at
the time tho State Department undertook to
further tho efforts to relieve the sufferings OF
the starving reconcentrados was that money
collected in America should be sent to Consul
General Lee and by him expended there. At
this ~luncture the Ward line offered to carry the
supplies to Havana free of cost, and it was as
contained that they could be purchased cheaper
in new York til Ian in Cuba. For these reasons
IT. WAS decided not to Aend the money to Gen,
Lee.
Inquiry at the State Department showed that
up to date about $4,000 had been contributed
to the relief fund. More money is being col
lectcd, and will ultimately BIO sent to the de-
partmcnt The reports to the department are
that 100000 people arc in need of assistance.
Fifteen thousand dollars will noc feed these for
one day. Tho department received $0.6i, to;
day, contributed by the students of a girls
ACADEMY at Decor ali, la.