The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-18
THE RIOTS In HAVANA
GENERAL LEE APPREHENSIVE
OF THEIR RENEWAL

Guarded by Troops-Our Formidatle Fleet
Gathering Near Cuba-Navy Department
officials Decline to Discuss the Situation
Two Hundre Thousand Cubans Starving
Washington, January 13.-Late this
afternoon the first news OF the day
came to the state department.
from United States Consul General Lee
who telegraphed that everything was
very quiet in Havana today and that
there was no cause for apprehension
of trouble. Orders have been sent to
the Marblehead to proceed to Navassa
to investigate conditions among the
laDorers there, thus disposing of the
rumor that she would he 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 diyulge the text of the dispatch it
is said it corroborates 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.
General Lee did not ask to have a war
ship SEN to Havana and in the Opin-
ion OF the state department officials
that is a sufficient reason for the as
sumtion that there is no occasion for
sending one. The officials are evidently
not a~pprehensive of any trouble in the
immediate future that will require the
fOrcible Intervention of our govern
ment.
The disquieting feature of the situa-.
ton is the horrible condition Of the
poor in Cuba. According to General
Lees advices no less than 200, 900 people
on the island are in the last stages of
restitution and are wholly dependent
upon charity. To feed these people on
a 10 cent ration per day would cost
100000 daily, which sum iS double the
amount so far received in contributions
during the past ten days by the state
department. In the opinion of Cen
eral Lee, no less than 20 per cent. OF
these poor people are surely doomed to
death from starvation and disease.
In such a state of affairs 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 dis
cuss the matter, he would say that he
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 We're to go
out for target practice and upon falling
in with the North Atlantic squadron
to attach herself. Although there is no
expectation at the navy department Of
any trouble just now, still in cas- it
should occur the navy is more strongly
represented in Florida and West Indian
waters than it has been in the past ten
years. At Key West there is the
second class battleship Maine, at Jack
sonville the dynamite cruiser Vesuvius.
at st. kits is the Annapolis and at
Guadalupe the Wilmington. The De-
troit is on the way from Cape Haytien
to Key West, where she is now due.
This naval force is made up, with
one exception, the Maine, of unarmored
but lightly protected cruisers and gum
boats. 1t will be powerfully reinforced,
however, in a few days by the North
Atlantic squadron, under Admiral
Sicard, composed of heavily armored
vessels. the most powerful fleet that
the United States has had together in
many years.
1t is authoritively stated at the navy
department that tfis southern move
ment of the squadron is in no degree
attributable to the rOubles in Havana,
but that the movement is a part of the
programme for winter m~anoeuvres of
the squadron, prepared by the navy
department months ago.
The Spanish minister, Senior Dupuy
de Lone, has been kept constantly ad-
vised of every development within the
last twenty four hours at Havan and
he summed up his advices this after
moon hV Ga Wing TIN At thpV show the 1D-
rising to have been a riot, pure and
simple; a order has been completely
restored and that the authorities have
an ample force to offer every prOtec-
tion; that the tumult was confined to
Spanish and Cuban residents and THAT
me- indignity was put on any American
interest or citizen, public or private.
The official advices began arriving
about midnight last night, and have
come uninterruptedly since then. They
told the story of the disturbance fully,
and in the main corroborated the press
dispatches. They made it clear, it is
said at the legation, that the demon
stration was an ~unorganized riot, the
participators being gathered up from
the streets, without arms or ammuni-
ton. 1t began when a few army Of
ficers mobbed The Reconcentrado
~(newspaper) establishment, that paper
being 50 lukewarm toward autonomy
that it was suspected of having in
surgent tendencies. Later as the peo-
pile were leaving the shops at the close
of the days work and the streets We're
filled with home goers, the demonstra-
tion was made again by attack on the
establishments of La Discussion and
the Diariro de la Marina. The dis
patches state that a small group raised
a cry against autonomy, some few gave
vivas for General Weyler, while some
scattered shouts were directed at Cen
eral Blanco. In the main, however, the
vivas were fer Spain and the army.
The mounted police were brought into
use and dispersed the groups, SO that
order was restored and the city was
tranquil by midnight.
During the excitement United States
Consul General Lee was in cOnrnunica-
tion with the Spanish authorities.
Neither he nor the officials appear to
have been anprehenSiYe. but it was