The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-03-12
THE SINEWS OF A
Money to be Amply Provided by
the Cannon Bill.
Introduced In the House-Five Important
Events Bearing More or Less Directly
Upon the Troubled Relations Between
the United States and Spain.

No leSS Lndn HNe Important eVeuLS yes
terday having a bearing more or less
direct upon the troubled relations be-
tween the United States and Spain,
viz: The introduction in congress, by
Mr., Cannon, of a resolution carrying
$50, DOC, 900 for the public defense; the
withdrawal by the Spanish gov
eminent of its intimated objec-
ton to the continuance in Of
fee of Consul-General Lee; the
order for the cruiser Montgomery to
proceed to Havana in place of the Fern;
the passage through the house of the
bill increasing the artillery arm by
two regiments, and the institution of
negotiations looking to tn purchase
OF war ships for our navy.
Mr.. Cannon's resolution probably led
all other topics in interest, particularly
when it became known that it was the
result of a conference between the au-
thor, the president, Senator Hale and
other leading spirits in congress.
AS for Gen. Lees case, the news of
the satisfactory ending of the incl
dent through the withdrawal OF the
suggestion by Spain was expected as
soon as it was noted that a loophole
had been left open through the failure
to make the complaint in anything
like al official shape. Some fear is eX-
pressed that the consul-general will
not find his post very ~congenial now
hat he knows he is an unwelcome
guest in Havana, but the administra-
ton is relying upon his devotion to the
welfare of the Americans IN Cuba and
American interests generally to sub
init his personal wishes to re-
straint and remain at his post.
Late in the afternoon, Senior Du
Bose, the Spanish charge, received a
cipher cable from the minister of state
ut Madrid, Senior Gullon, saying:
You can disavow the rumor that
any official application has been made
for the recall of Gen. Lee"
This confirmed Mr.. Du Bosc'S view
that a misrepresentation had occurred,
and that some intimation concerning
Gen.. Lee had been construed into a re-
quest or demand for his recall, which
Mr.. Du Bose says with p~ositiveness
was never intended.
As there has been no explanation so
far of the purpose which prompted the
introduction of Mr.. Cannon's resolu-
ton, it may be said that the money is
wanted primarily as al emergency
fund. 1t is said by officials who will
have the disposition of this treasure
that it by no means follows because
congress places such a sum of money
in the control of the president that he
will feel bound to spend all of it. Those
who look for a wholesale purchase
of war ships from the bargain
counters of European builders
are likely to be disappointed.
The navy department at present
is inclined to make put one purchase of
this kind, at first at least, in the shape
of \ substantial ironclad. 1t does de-
sire to get possession of several of the
larger class of torpedo BOAT d~estroyers,
such as the Sekul of the Russian navy,
vessels of 300 tons, able to keep the sea
in bad weather, a weak point with III
own boats, and capable of enormous
speed such as 81 knots. But such
CTdlI are hOI IOE odIC GI oil IlluCos IlCN
are built to order, generally, and could
not be procured in this manner in less
than six months from the date of con-
tract, even in Europe, unless special
prices were paid. There is no DISPOSE
ton on the part of the navy depart
ment to lumber the navy with a lot of
unserviceable craft in a spasm of fear,
h,,t o+bnr4a rat n fau- of thn host vas
sells to be had.
The offers of ships to the navy de-
partment are nov assuming definite
and formal shape. During the day
Secretary Long received a call from
a. +. Lane, representing the Maxim
Nordenfeldt Co., and the agent for sew
eral war vessels now nearing compile
ton in large foreign ship yards. Those
include two cruisers of the type of the
Cincinnati. which are designed to
be 20-knot vessels, and two IRON
clads of II knots, which would be
called third-class battleshipS under
our rating. These are now open to
purchase and it is understood that Mr..
Lanes visit was in this connection.
The two cruisers are $50 feet long, 43
feet beam and 16 feet draught. They
carry six 6-inch and four 3-inch guns
and an auxiliary battery. The IRON
clads have a 13%4-inch belt of Harvey
lied steel. Their armament is two 10
inch guns, four 5-inch, two 6-inch, six
6-pounders and four 1-pounders. Mr..
Lane regards these ships as first class
in every particular as they were
designed or modern principles and
are being built by N of the leading
shipbuilding firms in Europe. They
are well along toward completion, and
all four, it is said, could be in commits
sion within a few months. They were
originally designed for one of the South
American republics, but there is said
to be no obligation which would pre-
vent their acquisition by the United
States. Mr.. Lane recently sold the
navy department 60 of the Maxim-Nor-
denfeldt rapid-fre guns, and his stand
ing with officials is such is to give his
representations as to ships much
weight.
There are things that are wanted
much more than wal ships in case of
trouble, and the army shares these
needs; so that a fair proportion of the