Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-03-16
| BY THE SPANISH MINISTER
Says His Dispatches Are of a Re-
assuring Nature-Expects
No Trouble.

Washington. D. c., March 1.-THE
Spanish minister, Senior Polo Bernabe,
received Il number of dispatches today
from the minister of state ut Madrid and
from Capt. Gen. BlancO. Those from
Gen. ElancO were reasSuring in tone cud
stated that the situation at Havana and
throughout the island was quiet and sat
isfactory. The minister of state cabled
saying i'll substance: THE uprising in
the Philippines is SO insignificant that it
will be ended by the time you receive
this
Senior Polo did not have occasion to
visit the state department today. At II
O'Clock he made his first formal call. by
appointment. on the French ambassador,
and at II O'Clock on the British ambasSa-
dor. Informal social exchanges had pre-
viOusly been made, but the calls today
were III the nature of the formal meet
lngs of the representatives Of the two
governments.
The minister asked that an emphatic
denial be made in his name to the re-
ports that Senior Juan Ceballos had been
III W dshlngtOn as q commissioner from
the Spanish government TO make over
lures for terms of settlement with the
Cuban insurgents.
''Senor Cebalos is not a commissioner
of SPAIN said the minister, NOR has he
any authority, directly or indirectly, to
speak for the Spanish government. The
only person qualified to speak for Spain
in the United States IS her accredited
minister. l wish to make the denial as
broad ana emphatic as possible"
1t was explained by the minister that
Senior CeballoS had recently been named
by the autonomous cabinet of Cuba as an
aid to him in framing the proposed COM
mGIclaI treaty between the United States
and Cuba. This was i'll accordance with
the autonomous plan by which the Gu
hon aIE-nG, E
their tariff affairs. But in naming Senior
Ceballos. the minister pointed out. he
and his associates were to assist him as
the plenipotentiary Of Spain. Whether
Mr.. CeballOs, on his personal RESPONSE
billty. made overtures here is not known
ct the legation. He did not call there
and it is said that anything he may have
done was without that consultation or
sanction which would give it the Slight
est status as the act of the Spanish gov
eminent.
Senior Polos attention was called to
the reports from Spain as to prospective
sailing of the Spanish torpedo feet for
Havana and to the significance which had
been attached III this country to this
movement. The minister said that the
movement of torpedo craft had been long
contemplated and even before he left
Madrid the Queen Regent had babe good
by to the captain of the fleet. Their com
ing had no relation whatever, he declared.
to recent conditions, as they were wanted
for work along the Cuban coast. Some Of
them, he said, were designed for use in
the CautO river, while others, being swift,
could be used as dispatch boats between
shore points in case land communication
was interrupted.
The minister has received no intimation
as to the findings of the Spanish naval
commission which is investigating the
Maine disaster. He says this commission
is proceeding with the same fOrmalit. and
secrecy as the United States court of in
quiry, and that no intimation of its find
ings will be justified until the formal re-
port is presented to the Spanish govern
ment Mr. Polo added that his personal
belief, however, was that there is no
doubt the Spanish commission will report
that the Maine explosion was due to ac-
cident and said he was convinced that
this also would be the conclusion reached
by the people III this country when all the
facts in the matter are made known.