The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-01-24
HAVANA LIKE A VOLCANO
CONSUL LEE SAYS THE SITUATION
Is SERIOUS.
President Mckinley Believes That Fur
Their Rioting in Cuba's Capital viii
Necessitate Intervention.

The very latest information from
Cuua was to the effect that Havana
was like a volcano. The administra-
ton at Washington was still waiting
developments in Havana, when the
Belgic sailed from San francisco. The
riots there have disturbed its careful
ly laid plans.
Reluctantly. the State Department
admitted having received a late dis
patch from Consul General Lee on the
situation in Havana. Gen. Lee took
no rosy view of the present situation,
regarding it as quite ominous. He
made it plain that the city was like a
smoldering volcano, and that it might
break forth without moments warn
ing. While he was getting along very
well at the present time without ma
val support, he intimated very clear
~ that should rioting be resumed
there was great danger that it could
not be suppressed as easily as We'd
nesday's disturbance had been put
down.
Gen. Lee has also made it quite
plain to the State Department and TO
the President that the cause of We'd
esday's disturbance was not so much
the goadings of Havana newspapers,
which wounded the pride of the young
Spanish officers. but it was n sudden
and fierce outburst of hatred toward
all things relating to the scheme of
autonomy now being experimental
with.
At the Cabinet meeting on January
18th it is understood the President
took this view of the situations: That
if the officers of Spain were plotting
against autonomy, and engaging in
the acts of violence to defeat its end,
the time for the United States to act
might come quickly. If the riots
continue he will take this fact as evil
dence that Spain is divided against it.
lself on this question, and that peace
cannot be restored without interven-
ton.
The Cabinet discussion also showed
that the President. while he had de-
cided not to send warship to Cuba
at present, does propose to keep one
or more vessels within n reasonable
distance of Havana.
Senator Cannon's resolution calling
upon the State Department to show
what steps had been taken to protect
the lives and property of citizens Of
the United States in Cuba was discuss
ed and the conclusion was reached 20
delay sending the answer to the SEN
ate until the situation was better uu-
derstood or its gravity had eased up "A
bit.
Opportunism is the key of the Presi-
dents policy. 1t is only fair to state
that he has no confidence in the sue
cess of the plan of autonomy, but he
has always been determined that the
Spanish government should, if posi-
| lie De compelled to ask aid of the
United States in restoring peace. To
do this and avoid war it is necessary
that Spain shall be convinced of her
inability to end the war single handed.
The rioting in Havana is regarded
by the administration as merely the
outward sign that autonomy is not
only unacceptable to the Cuban In
surgents, but is opposed with strenu-
Gus ferocity by a large and powerful
Spanish minority in Cuba as well as
/ in Spain.
The President regards it as an OBJ
iect lesson to the world that Spain is
helpless in the meshes of her own
policy.