The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-14
CEBALLOS' MISSION.
Spanish Minister Talks Of the
Cuban Autonomy Scheme
and Other Matters.

WASHINGTON, March IA, 1sgS.-Ths
Spanish minister, Senor Polo y Bernabe,
received a number of dispatches today
from the minister of state at Madrid, and
from Captain General Blanco Those
from General Blanco were reassuring in
tone and stated the situation at Havana
and throughout the island was quiet and
satisfactory. The minister of state
cabled, saying in substance
THE uprising in the Philippines Is so
llnslgnitieent that it will be ended by the
time you receive this
Senior Polo did not have occasion to Wis
1t the State Department today. At eleven
O'Clock he made his first formal call, by
appointment, on the French ambassador
ana at twelve O'Clock ON the British
had previously been made, but the calls
today were in the nature of the formal
meetings OF the representatives of the two
governments.
The Minister asked that an emphatic
denial be made in his name to the reports
that Senior Juan Ceballos had been in
Washington as a commissioner from the
Spanish Government to make overtureS
for terms of settlement with the Cuban
insurgents.
',Senor Ceballos is not a commissioner of
SPAIN said the Minister nor has he
any authority directly or indirectly, to
speak for the Spanish Government Tho
only person qualified to speak for Spain in
the United States is her accredited Min
lister. I wish TO make the denial as broad
and emphatic as possible
1t was explained by the Minister that
Senor Ceballos had recently been named
by the autonomous Cabinet of Cubans as
an aid to him in framing the proposed
commercial treaty between the United
States and Cuba. This was in accordance
with the autonomous plan by which the
Cubans themselves were given control of
their tariff affairs. But in naming Se1or
Cebalfos, the Minister pointed out, he and
his assistants were to assist him as the
Nfpat tflrx Of Ia
Ceballos, on his personal responsibility,
made overtures here is not known at 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 slightest status
as the act of the Spanish Government.
Senior Polo's attention was called to the
reports from Spain as to the prospectivs
sailing of the Spanish torpedo fleet for
Havana and to the significance which
had been attached in this country. to this
movement of torpedo craft had been long
contemplated and even before he left
Madrid the Queen Regent had bid good
bye to the, captain of the fleet. Their
coming had no relation whatever, he de-
clared, to recent conditions, as they We're
wanted for work along the Cuban coast.
use in the Cauto River, while others, be-
ing swift, could be used as dispatch boats
between shore points in case land CONS
municatlon was interrupted.
The minister had received no intimation
as to the findings of the Spanish naval
commission which is investigating the
Maine disaster. He says this commis-
sion is proceeding with the same formal
ity and secrecy as the United States
Court OF Inquiry, and that no intimation
of its findings will be justified until the
formal report is presented to the Spanish
Government. 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 accident, and said that he was cons
vinced that this would be the conclusion
also reached by the people in this coun>
try when all the facts in the matter are
made known