The herald., 1898-02-06
ORDERS TO
CRUISERS
Rouse the Resentment of
Spaniards
ORDERS GIVEN SHIPYARDS
TO HASTEN THE WORK ON
REPAIRS
Measures Are Taken to Prepare For
the Blockade of Spanish and
Cuban Ports
Special to The Herald.

, | SlECidl " luS klGA
, MADRID, Feb. 5.-News that tn,
Ban croft had been ordered to Lisbon, il
addition to the Helena, and that th
American squadron will remain tw,
months in the Dry Tortugas has caused
a great sensation here.
Ell impartial will publish an article
tomorr ow, saying: 1T is impossible t.
allow the United States to continu,
perfectiug around Cuba and Spain &
blockade, which she will be able to en-.
force as,soon as she finds it suitable"
Orders have been issued afresh to the
building yards where Spanish warship:
are being built or are undergoing re.
pairs to have the work fastened.
Minister of State Gulion said this
afternoon: Il propose sending $1,000
more men, to Cuba, in response TO recent
events. They were asked forlby Blancc
before he began'his voyage to the East
ern Cuba provinces. in order to replace
sick and dead soldiers. No internal diff
hculties exist in the Cuban inssllar cab
met to make me anticipate the,probabil-
ity of an immediate crisis"
NAVAL PREPARATION
NEW YORK, Feb. 5.-CBy AS
sociated Press) A declaration
from Spain would scarcely have sur
prised Washington more than did the
news that the Havana steamship Ciudad
de Cadiz is to be transformed at Bar
| celona into cruiser to escort the Span
| ish torpedo fiotilla to Cuban waters,
says the Washington correspondent of
the World.
There had been no previous intima-
ton that the Madrid government in
tended to utilize the merchant marine
in preparing for war
In Congressional circles the drafting
of the Ciudad de Cadiz is regarded as
an indication that matters are progress
ing toward an open rupture between the
United States and Spain. A great ma
lority of the Senators and Reprenta-
tives prefer to believe as they hope:
they want a speedy settlement of the
Spanish Cuban question and care little
how it is accomplished.
Senior de Lone, the Spanish Minister.
says he knows nothing about it. He
has received no communicat tton on the
subject.
Navy Department officials say the
Madrid authorities have the right to
avail themselves of all vessels in the
passenger or freight traffic whenever
the government needs them. The great
American liners can be armed any time
and transformed into cruisers. Only
recently active steps We're tax en- to OBJ
tain the arms and equipment rtacessary
to make these vessels available i'm
mediately.
The Washington Navy Yard is now
running night and day making guns
with which to arm the auxiliary navy
should hostilities occur. The Sc arma
ments are intended for the St Paul, St
Louis, New York and Paris and the sub
sidized liners which We're so constructed
that they could be speedily changed
into commerce destroyers.
BLANCO COMING HOME
HAVANA, Feb. 5.-CaWain General
Blanco and Gen. Pando have arrived at
Puerto Principe. Gen. Blanco is ex-
pected to reach Havana in three days.
Among the passengers who arrived
here today on board the Spanish steam
er Maria Cristina We're Senor Edouardo
Dolse, secretary of posts and telegraphs
in the colonial governmentt Senior Eiso
Gilberta and thirty officers and 1850 SOL
diers.
SAGASTA RESPONDED
MADRID, Feb. 5.-El Heraldo says
that Gen. Stewart l.. WoOdford, the
United States minister, today presented
an official note to the Spanish govern
ment, to which Premier Sagasta re-
sponded in vigorous terms.
The work on the naval armament is
being actively rushed, and the Spanish
squadron will proceed shortly to the
Canary islands.
OLNEY CRITICISED
HAVANA, Feb. (via Key WesD.-
The reported action of ex-Secretary of
State Olney in contributing 800 to the
relief of the suffering in Cuba through
the Spanish minister in Washington, ig-
noring Consul General Lee, is criticised
by Americans here as tending to cast
discredit upon the contributions through
the state department. The announce
ment that the gift was made through the
Spanish minister was cabled here, and
a prominent American. speaking of the
matter said that the dispatch sent by
Secretary of the Interior Gown of the
Colonial ministry to Senor De LONE at
Washington, in response, cost as large a
sum as the gift.
1t is the common belief that General
Blanco's march into Eastern Cuba has
proved total failure, as have also Gen
eral Pando'S plans, military operations
in the east being suspended during the
dry season, the only time available for
the insurgents.
Dispatches received from Madrid late
today, which are not allowed to be pub
lished, say that the Sagasta cabient has
become disgusted with the autonomist
Cuban ministry for not following a mil
itary policy, and not attempting to at
tract the insurgents, but simply attend
ing to their own interests and ignoring
entirely the insurgents in the field. 1t is
desired that Senores Giborga Bruzon.
Ablard, Gown and Font should form a
radical party, entrusted with the task
of arranging terms with the insurgents. |
the government Offering to disarm the
volunteers and form militia with the |
Cubans and also offering tp pay one