The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-14
Consul General Lee Cables
State Department
NO VIOLENCE DONE HIM
NOR HAS HE ASKED FOR WAR
VESSELS.
NO APPaEsGaS ON OF FURTHER TROUBLE
But Another Outbreak is Expected at any
Moment Gen Lee Sa, S mt 100000
PeoPI- or the sI5rd are in the
last S ages Of uestitu,ion.

Te0PIe on the st5nd are IN the
last S ages Of DestituOn.
Washington, D e, Jan. 13.--Late this
afternoon the first news of the day came
to the State Department from United
States Consul General Lee, who tele-
graphed that everything was very quiet
in Havana territory and there was no
cause for apprehension of trouble
Orders have been sent to the Marble
head to proceed to Navassa to inYesti-
gate conditions among the laborers there
thus disposing Of the rum0r that she
would be ordered to Cuba
Consul General lee has reported to
the State Department from Havana,
under date of yesterday, the facts con-
nected with the rioting there yesterday
While the State Department officials do
not divulge the text of the dispatch, it
is said that it c0rroborates generally
the newspaper reports on the subject
According to General Lees report the
disturbance had been quelled for the
time being, but he was apprehensive Of
another outbreak at any moment. Gen
eral Lee did not ask to have a war
ship sent to Havana and in the opinion
Of the State Department officials that
rs a sufficient reason for the assumption
that there is no occasion for sending
one. The officials are evidently not
apprehensive OF any trouble in the inn
mediate future that will require the
forcible Intervention of our government.
The disquieting feature Of the situation
is the horrible condition of tile poor in
Cuba. According to General Lees adj
vices no less than 100000 people on the
island are in the last stages Of deRtitu-
tion ard are wholly dependent upon
charity. To feed these people On ten
cent ration per Gay would cost $40, coo
daily, winch sum is double the amount
so far received In contributions during
the past ten days by the State Depart
ment. In the opinion of General Lee,
no les than twenty per cent of these
poor people are surely doomed to death
from starvation ana disease. I'm such
state of atrairs the existence OF any
form Of organized government is
threatened and the autonomy plans OF
the Spanish government command little
attention.
Secretary Long was asked whether
any of the American ships had been
ordered to be ready to sail for Havana.
He replied that, while he could not
discuss the matter he would say that
be had not made any change in the
orders to the battleship Maine. now lying
at Key West Inquiry developed the
fact that the Names last orders were
to go out for target practice and upon
falling in with the North Atlantic
squadron to attach herself. Although
there is no expectation at he Navy De
sartment Of any trouble just now, still
in case it should occur the navy is more
strongly represented in Florida and
West Indian waters than it has been in
the paSz ten years. At Key West there
Is the second class battleship Maine, at
Jacksonville the dynamite cruiser Yes
uviRs, at st. Kits is the Annapolis and
at Guadaloupe the Wilmington. The
Detroit is on the way from Cape Hay
ten to Key West, where she is now
one.
This naval force is made up with one
exception, the Maine Of unarmored but
| lightly protected cruisers and gunboats
1t will be powerfully reinforced, how
ever, in few days by the North At
lantic squadron, under Admiral Sicard
composed Of heavily armored vessels, the
most powerful feet that the United
States has had together in maBy years.
1t is authoritatively stated at the
Navy Department that this southern
movement of the squadron is in no de-
gree attributable to the trouble in
Havana, but that the movement is a
part of the programme for winter man
ouevres of the squadron prepared by
| the Navy Department months ago.
The Spanish Minister Senior Dupuy
/ 10 ha GrA 4