The San Francisco call., 1898-03-12

HAVANA, Cuba, via the Herald-Cdli dispatch boat Dewey to Key West, Fla. March 11.-Affairs as the Herald-Call steamer left Havana to-day indicate period of tranquility, as has been 1nu- mated in the Heralds recent and ex- elusive cables. The American colony IS jubilant having just learned the real and full meaning of recent confusing dispatches from Madrid, in which IL was alleged that Spain had demanded the recall of General Lee.
 am now in a position to give the inside history of that incident. It shows that the autonomists. relying up on the forbearance and willingness or the United States Government to make all honorable concessions looking to- ward peace, tried to have Lee made sacrifice to his country's desire to avolo friction. As that desire was estimated in Madrid and Havana, the result was exactly what the autonomists did not wish, the Spanish suggestion of the re- placing of Consul General Lee being met by a firm reply from President Me Ktnley, who cabled Minister Woodford that he would not consider for an in stant the matter of Lees recall.
 
 The following account of the circum- stances leading up to this reply and to the closing of the incident by Presi- dent NicKinley's f1rmness may be re- garded as authoritative. As I cabled a few days ago. the autonomists have been incensed at General Lee since he made a confidential report to the State Department, pronounclng autonomy a failure. This report, the substance of which the Herald printed, said in es- sence that as the greatest result to be arrived at by autonomy was that the rebels would lay down their arms, and as they had not done so and were not BiSeIy to, the plan was flat failure.
 Then Secretary General Congosto wrote to General Lee, asking the lat ter's reasons for making such Q report to the State Department. Lee wrote a reply, Tn which he explained that, in his opinion, autonomy was not only a failure, but was desired by neither the Cubans nor the Spaniards, with the ex- ception of the autonomist leaders.
 Here began the hatcnlng the plan to have Lee removed. Senor Arturo Amblard, the radical autOnomist lead CT, suggested that if General Lee were not favorable to autonomy 1t was ad- visa bIe to have him sent home and re-
 
 pliant. In pursuance of this idea Am plard with others made capital of Sfgs- bees failure to call on the autonomist cabinet when the Maine came to Ha- vana, though as the Herald said at the time Secretary General Congosto had told General Lee that General BIancos absence in the field General Parade, next in command, was the proper person upon whom to call.
 It Is not generally known that Gen eraI Lee and Captain Sigsbee were sub sequently tricked into an apparent call upon the autonomist cabinet, but such is the fact, though they did not intend it and were placed in the position of having been compelled to observe a for mality which they deemed unnecessary, as they do now. One day General Lee and Captain SigSbee went to meet Sec retary- General Congosto at the palace for a moment. General Lee was told that the Secretary General wished to see him for a few moments on business. Secretary General CongoSto would be in his office in fifteen minutes. General Lees business was reference to be- ginning work on the Maine, and as Captain Sigsbee was ter-sted he ac- conpanied the Consul General to Gen eral Congosto's office, but the latter instead of receiving them himself ushered them into the chamber Of the autononlist cabinet, where he presented them to SSDCT AONlli, ICllloi hAlI5 bi4o he was sorry Senor Govin was the only member of the cabinet who was within reach at the moment.
 General Lee and Captain Sigsbee were astonished, as they had no busi- ness to transact with Senor Gown or his colleagues. but they greeted him noIitely and then proceeded 10 the ohsl- ness they had in hand
 The Havana papers then printed a story that Lee and Sigsbee had called or, the autonomist cabinet and thls, 1ol- lowing the complaint by De LoIhe al Washington regarding Sigsoees lgnor- inc the autonomists, made II appear .ho+ tbe Consul General and the Cap toir1 had been whipped into the traces. The fact was that Sigsbee in the nrst 1lace had f1IIly complied with etiquette as set forth in the naval regulations.
 AmhIard and the others were stlil busv with the matter or Lee recall. Amblard is said to be an lhtiIIIale Ii friend of Senor Moret, Minister of For etgr ffafrs His letters to Madrid ln- weighing against Lee and setting Iortn +he hanef7ts to be obtained by haVlng the man who had given autonoihy d black eve replaced by one or dlilereHl views finally resulted Tn the uetel liliii.,- mn a tion by the Spanish Cabinet 10 move III the matter. The result was not ue- mand for Lees recall, as, however great was the Cabinets belief in the desire of the United States to make all honorable concessions looking to peace, 1t did not feel safe in making positive demand at such time. General wood ford was informed that it would De agreeable" to Spain if General Lee were removed and another man put in his place. This was another way oi saying that, in view of the unsettled relations between Spain and the Oniteo States, due to the many troublesome questions at issue, General Lee, who had said plainly that autonomy was failure, was not likely to contribute to harmony in future relations, and 1t was suggested that he be removed in eVi- dence of good faith. There was strong faith in certain circles in Madrid and Havana that Consul-General Lees end had come. Indeed, in Havana the au tonomists, once they knew that friends in Madrid had taken tha matter in