The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-09

1
| The new Spanish minister Senior Polo
Bernabe, will arrive in New York to-
morrow on the German line steamer. he
| is expected at the legation the next day
and arrangements then will be made for
the presentation of his credentials to
President Mckinley. there VIII pe ene
will be more than of passing interest.
| Senior Polo left Madrid before the recent
critical juncture was reached and at the
| time of his departure the new commercial
treaties were uppermost in the interest," Oh
the Madrid authorities The new minister
speaks English. HIS wife is the daughter
of one of the most influential men IN
| Spain.
| The President this afternoon signed the
Hawley bill providing for two additional
regiments OF artillery to man the coast
defense. fEs
FLYING SQUADRON SUGGESTED.
Light House Tenders May Be Available
| For Navy.
Washington, March S.-Ths cruiser
Brooklyn started away from La Guayra
today under orders from the navy depart
ment directly for Hampton roads. The
sending of the ship to Hampton Roads Is
taken as an evidence of a change OF
! pOllCy Ou tuo phFU VI udFHi StlduoSAnec3
| who may have come to the conclusion
that the gathering Of the most and best
Of the vessels ; of the North Atlantlc
| squadron at Key West is unduly exposing
the eastern coast. There has also been
talk of organizing flying squadron com
| posed altogether of fleet OF cruisers. four
| in number, and having them ready to go
of an enemy's ships, relying on the big
battleship for the homeguard. This, how
ever, has not been decided on.
| A proposition that received instant
attention and isSexpected. to be approved
in the end, came to the navy department
today. This was to turn over to the navy
department. 10 of the best boats In the
| lighthouse service
These boats are from three to four
hundred tons burden. good sea boats,
manned by officers thoroughly familiar
with every indentation of the Atlantic
coast and capable of being easily trans
| ferred into efficient gun boats. 1t is pro-
| posed to place a six. inch rifle on pivot
| mount on each vessel forward and to
place light armor around the boilers
| and machinery to protect them from
small arms fire at least. The intention
of the department has also been called to
the feasibility of recruiting The naval list
from the revenue marine cutters, a num-
ber of which are fully equal, being given
arms, to the smaller type of gun boats
now in the service. If these vessels were
ayailed OF, they would be assigned to duty
| along the southern coasts, maintaining
blookades and relieving the larger cruis-
els of much wearisome duty.
! Arrangements were perfected at the
navy department. today for the relief OF
dispatch boat Fern at Havana by the
cruiser Montgomery. The montgomery
4 will relieve the Fern tomorrow morning
| SO the latter may arrive at hey west
] Wednesday evening in ample time to re-
ceive the food supplies from New York.
Senior DuBosc, when questioned today
as to the present state of affairs, said
notwithstanding the apparent agitation
I am gratifed to note that so far as actu-
al occurrences are concerned they are ad
iusting themselves in q satisfactory man
ner to both governments. The Lee incl
dent is closed, if indeed it never was open.
At most it was a misrepresentation OF
authorized by Secretary Gullion, the
minister of foreign affairs, to deny that
any REQUEST had ever been made for the
| recall Of Consul General Lee, and il is
unfortunate and misleading for the re-
ports to be printed that Spain has with
drawn a request or demand never In TACT
made. The entire matter appears to
have arisen out ofssome suggestion as to
the propriety Of certain conduct. just as
any officialIaction relating to two govern
ment may be discussed in friendly
spirit. But in any event the incident is
1 closed and has no further bearing on the
general condition of affairs.
"The matter of sending relief supplies
to Cuba in war ships is all satisfactorily
adjusted and so far as it even amounted
to an incident is also closed. These are
two passing occurrences which have ap-
peared to awaken agitation, and being
4 closed, | cannot see any substantial rea-
son for further agitation.
$50 far as the defense bill in Congress
4 is concerned, diplomatlc euquetIe ooes
not allow ny: discussing it. But may
saw. unofficially, that it seems to be quite
natural result from the undue impor-
tance attached by the public to incidents
} now closed. In normal times those pass
ing incidents Of the day-whlch are IN
evitable to diplomatic intercourse, be-
tween nation-could not be seized upon
by tho radical branch OF the press 10 IN
flame public opinion.
Back of these passing incidents is the
vital Cuban problem toward which
Spain has resolutely set her face TO ADJUST
by giving the Cuban people the most
complete control of their internal affalrs
II know with what profound solicitude
Premier Sagasta and his assistants are
seeking to accomplish the peace and
prosperity of Cuba on basis alike non
lorable to the island and to the mother
country and through such heroic efforts
| feel confident that an honorable settle
ment will result and peace be restored.
BUYING WARSHlPS ABROAD.
Rumors of Purchases Made by Spain
Again Confirmed.
Il London, March S.-The English news
papers today confirm the news of Spain
purchase of warships. The st. James
Gazette which yesterday published the
; denials of the Spanish embassy ano
J Spanish naval commission at which ha:
an office in London, says today: 1t j:
} ascertained on very high authority, il
spite of denials, that the Spanish govern
ment has almost certainly succeeded ii
buying three nearly completed cruisers
here, and two coast defense vessels which
are about to be launched in France. Ex
perts are almost as much surpri sed at the
success of Madrid in raising the money
as by the clever diplomacy which secured
the Chilian and Brazilian cruisers OF the
Armstrong; at a cost believed to be
million pounds sterling. almost before
the move was suspected ~