The herald., 1898-03-07
WHAT OCCURRED
Is Better Known Than What Will
Happen


Happen
WASHINGTON, March 6.-The advicei
from Madrid, together with the authorita
tive statement here, left no room for doubt
as to what had occurred. The request fol
Gen. Lees recall is understood to have
come within the last few days and doubt
less since the last cabinet meeting on Fri
day, as no reference was made to it at thai
time. 1t came through Minister Wood
ford, somewhat unusual proceeding, as
the common mode of requiring the with.
drawal of a minister or consul is through
| the representative OF the government max
Ing the request, who, in this case, is Sencj
du Bose. the Spanish charge d'affaires
Mr.. Bose had received no instructions on
| this subject and was in complete ignorance
| of the demands made through Mr. Wood
ford. The other suggestion of the Spanish
| government that relief supplies should NOT
be sent in warships did not come through
Minister Woodford, as the Madrid dis
| patches state, but was presented by Senor
| du Bose to the state department last Fri
| day.
The response in both cases went direct
to Minister Woodford. There was no loss
of time, however, in assembling special
session of the cabinet.
In the protest against the Montgomery
and Nashville. Judge Day conferred with
| Secretary Long, who in turn called in
| Capt. Crowninshield, chief Of the bureau of
navigation. There appears to be no reason
why change should not be made in the
| plan for sending these ships on their mis-
| sion, and without attaching Significance
to the request Of the Spanish government
| the answer was made that the plans for the
| trip were completed and that the stay Of
| the ships would be brief and of the most
! pacific nature.
| In responding to the request for Gen.
Lees recall. the president does not seem
| to have deemed the subject open to such
| discussion as would require the views of
| his cabinet associates, and after brief
exchange between the White House and
the state department the negative answer
was dispatched to Minister Woodford.
| PROMPT ACTION TAKEN
One phase of the incident that tends to
show the firm stand taken by the admins
| tration Is the expedition with which the
action was accomplished. Such a matter
| ordinarily Is laid before the cabinet, the
views of all its members personally given,
and the fullest opportunity afforded for
discussion.
But in this case, the Associated Press
bulletin furnished to some members of the
cabinet the first information that Gen.
Lees service was open to question. Before
the cabinet meeting no hint or complaint
Of any kind relating to Gen. Lee had been
made.
The ground on which Gen. Lees recall
was asked is not officially disclosed. It is
known, however, that the Spanish govern
ment has chafed for some time over Gen.
Lees presence in Havana, although 1t had
never taken the form of definite protest
prior to the present time. It began
to assume more serious aspect shortly
after the arrival of the Maine at Havana.
At that time Gen. Lee escorted Capt. Sigs-
bee on his round Of official calls. These
were made with due formality, but the
Spanish officials took offense when the calls
were restricted to Gen. Blanco, Admiral
Manterola and the representatives Of the
military arm Of Spain's service, and did
not include Premier Galvez and his asso-
ciates Of the autonomist cabinet who rep
resented the new civil regime which Spain
is seeking to enforce. The matter came to
the attention Of Senior Dupuy de LONE,
the Spanish minister at Washington, and
although there was no protest, the situa-
ton doubtless reached the state depart
ment, as suitable amends were made by
Capt. Sigsbee's calling on DR.. Congosto,
the civil secretary general, Premier GAL
vez and his associates. There was like
irritation over a dinner given by Consul
General Lee to the officers of the Maine.
The list of guests on that occasion is said
to have omitted some of the Spanish naval
officers and to have included, quite con-
spicuously, the names of a number of
American newspaper correspondents, who
were regarded by the Spanish officials at
Havana as antagonistic to them. This was
also brought to the attention of the offic-
action, but rather of unofficial Spanish
criticism of Gen. Lees general mode Of
procedure.
CAME AS A SURPRISE
Within recent days it has been under
stood by officials here that the feeling
against Gen. Lee has been smoothed over
and the request for his recall was for that
reason in the nature of a complete surprise.
There are circumstances which clearly dis
close the grounds for the recall, although
1t is not known that Spain has made any
exact specifications of complaint. Since
the Maine disaster a report has been cir
culated that Gen. Lee held the personal
opinion that the explosion was due to ex-
ternal causes.
No official report of this character was
ever sent to Washington SO far as is |
known, but the mere circulation of the re-
port at Madrid attributing such views to |
Gen. Lee has been the source of much feel
Ing in Spanish official circles. The press
dispatches from Madrid also disclose that |
Gen. Lee is held accountable at the Span
ish capital for the project of the purchase
of Cuba by the United States from Spain. |
as we'll as for a general sentiment Of syln-
tion of Imparcial, leading government
organ, that the next session of the cortes
will consider the case of Gen. Lee, shows
the strong influences which induced the |
Sagasta cabinet to ask his recall In this |
the fact Is noted that Senor
Dupuy de LONE is due in Spain at this
time. His enforced retirement on a de-
mand by the United States is felt to have
awakened counter sentiment at Madrid |
which finds expression against Consul
General Lee. There Is little doubt also
that such advice as Senior de LONE would
give to the government or to the press and
public In Madrid would not be conducive
toward retention Of Gen. Lee
THE MAIN CAUSE
There is little doubt. however, that the
main cause of Spain's action Is the sympa-
thy Gen. Lee has shown for the Cuban suf-
terers. It Is known that his active and
open sympathy with the people who have
suffered SO greatly during the present In
1urrection, American citizens as well ss
native cubAns, has not been accepted bvl
he epalinh ofacia1s IN Cuba as an exhibi-
lion of drthtr>nted o1lciaIfnm, such q i
nxpected oe consular ofacers. There were Il
p0pdplAtpts during Gen. Weyler's admin
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