The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-21
The sObraI Incident.

- III accordance with these orders.
The SObraI Incident.
When Mr.. Longs attention was called
10 reports that he had taken official
cognlZance of Capt. SobraPs criticisms
or the American navy, the secretary
sald that he had called the subject m
tne attention of the state department
WIN view of having an inquiry made
py lnat branch. The particular ex-
pIession TO which the secretary had di-
rected the attention of the state de-
paftment was the following. attributed
to Capt. Sobral: y -
1t was the result of an explosion ineIde
0i 4 Ine snip, which took place in one of the
forward magazines. The fact of the mat
Ter Is that the discipline and the watch
observed on the ship were very Law This
as one English newspaper declared the 9th
or cay IL, IS the the case on American warshlps
generally Ihis sort of thing has occurred
vessels. II 'N wal
The secretary said he had not called
attention to the other features of Cant
SobraIs alleged interview in which
ne refers to the possibilities of war and
to the information he had gained whit
naval attache of the Spanish legation.
AS whole Mr.. Long did not treat
the Sobral matter as profoundly seri-
ous
Assistant Secretary Day received no
dispatches from Havana during the
early part of the day. He would not
discuss the Sobral matter. 1t is un-
derstood, however, that the state de-
partment does not attach deep sig
nlncance TO the reported remarks of
Sobral, owing to his minor position.
AT the same time it is felt he should
not be making such remarks as are at
tributed to him.
Secretary Long has called official at
tention to them, or the department
would doubtless have taken steps TO
learn whether the interview was ac-
curate by making a request on the
Spanish legation. 1T can be stated pos
ltlVely. however, that reports that the
state department made such a request
OF the Spanish legation yesterday are
incorrect. Nothing has been done thus
far, and an unexpected DEVELOPMENT
of today so changes the aspect of the
Sobral case that the state department
may not feel that it is necessary to
proceed further
AS De LONE Did.
This development was that Capt. So
braIs services as naval attache at
Washington were officially terminated
by Spain about four weeks ago. #
came from Senor du Bose, charge daft
faires of the Spanish legation, who.
when his attention was called to the
Sobral case, gave to the Associated
Press the following authorized state
ment: AS regards this reported in
terView l know nothing about it be-
YOnd what | have seen in the paDers
[ should imagine Mr.. Sobral far too
prudent to say anything calculated to
ofend brothers in arms. At the same
time | should state that on the Gath of
January last Capt Sobral ceased To
be a member of this legation. accord :
ing to royal DEGREES, which gazetted as
his successor Lieut.. Ramon Carraza V
Guerra" Owing TO the royal decree
relieving Capt. Sobral, it is said, he at
present occupies the position merely
of private citizen. He is at present
in New York meeting his old naval
friends on the Vizcaya, but his official
status as Spain's naval attache to the
legation is said to have terminated
when the decree was gaZetted last
month. 1t is usual formality to no.
tify the department of such changes.
but owing to the exciting events of
recent days this notification of the
Spanish decree was not conveyed to
the authorities here at the time it oc-
CURED, although the fact has now been
made known with the information that
Capt. SObraPs services with the lega-
tion ended Jan. "a, last
Mr.. du Bose received no advfces Of
Importance from Havana today. He
expressed entire satisfaction with the
plans by which the divers were operat-
ing and said there was no justificatiR-
for talk about friction. Perfect har-
mony existed, he said, and on both
sides, SO far as he could see, there was
every disposition to give ample facil-
tiles for an investigation. Mr.. du Bose
feels that the assembling Of the court
of inquiry at Havana tomorrow is quite
desirable, owing to the rapid rate at
which the hull of the Maine is sink
ing in the soft bottom of the harbor.