The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-14
orr NATAL STRENGTH.
\ Powerful Fleet Could Be Assembled
Promptly suffering.


.1VAsHfNGTON. Jan. I3-Lotc tlis ar
tcrnoon fhc drst news OF the day came
to the state Department from United
States Cuuml-General Lee, who tele-
grabbed Shat everything was very quiet
In Havana t0-dey and that there was no
cause for apprehension Of trouble.
orders lave been sent TO the Marble
head 20 proceed 10 Navassl tc investigate
conditions among ;ho labo',rs there thus
disposing Of the iumog that She would be
ordered 20 Cuba.
Consul-General Lee bias repOttcd to tho
state Department from Havana. under
date of YESTERDAY the facts connected
with lhc riotng there yesterday While
tnc state Department officials do not di-
,uiec the text OF the dispatch, 10 is said
that 10 corrOboTates generally the news
paper reports en- the sui ljcct.
According 90 Gen n.ral Lees report the
disturbances had been queiled for the time
being but he was appreED sive OF an
other outbreak at any mon 'nt 1ehe-
raI I.e. did not ask 90 have "a Wafship
sent 90 Havana and iu The opinion of the
state Department officials that is sur
uclout reason for the assumption lhal
therc is uo occasion for sending one. Ihe
officials are evidently NOT apprch'nsiNe
of any trouble in the ID. u cdidte tuihie
That viii require the forcibic intervention
OF our government
The disquiCtng feature or the silua-
lion is the horIlbl- condition oil the poor
tn cuba. According to Ger eral Lees adj
vices mo- less than 2WO00 people on the
island are in the last stages of drstitu-
tion and are wholly dependent upon char-
ity. To feed these people ON a ten cent
ration per day would cost $2oV" daliy'
which sum is double the amount so Tar
D..
Ten days by the state Department.
MANY DOOMED.
In he opinion Of General Lee no less
chan 2o pcr cent of these poo. people are
surely doomed 10 death from starvation
and disease Iu such state OF andlr@.
tho existence of any form oil ORGANIZED
eovernmcnt is threatened and the auto
romv plans of the Spanish government
command little attention.
Secretary Long was asked "hc'h''
any of the American ships had been or
dcrcd to bee ready 10 sail ior havana re
,eniiod that. while he could not discuss
,hc ,,sttor he would say that ho had
mo, made amy change in The orders OF
tbe battleship Maine. now lying al KEY
VT Inquiry developed the fact that
tho Names last orders were to "a ont FOR
target practice and upon faluv in WIN
the North Atlantic squadron 10 attach
herself
Although there is no expectation at the
Navy Department of any trouble Just
nov still. i'm case 30 should occur the
navy is more strongly represented IN
Florida and West Indian waters than IL
has been in the past ten years. Al Key
West there ~ the second-class batucslup
Maine. al Jacksonville the dynamite
cruiser Nesuvius. and at Guadaloupe the
r.u.,f,eto, Tho AunnuOlis is also ON
nc station. The Detroit Is also on the way
rom Cape Haytlan 10 Key West.
EASILY REINFORCED.
This naval force is made mp. with one
sxccption-the Mainc-of unarmored and
Hehtly-protected cruisers and guuuoats
n would be powerfully reinforced. how
.ver. I'm a few days by the North Atlantic
squadrOn. under Admiral Sicard. com
posed OF heaVly-armOred Vessels-the
most powerful fleet that the United States
has had together In many years.
~ L. authoritatively stated at the Navy
Department that this Southern move
ment Of the squadron is In no degree at
iributcd 10 tho trouble IN Havana. hut
that tho movement is 4 part of the pro-
eramme for winter manoeuvres of the
squadron prepared by the Navy Depart
ment months ag0.
The Spanish Minister Scnor Dupuy De
LONE has been kept constantly advised
of every deyelopmens within the last
twenty-four hours n Havana. and he
summed up his adyices this evening by
saving that they show the uprising 10
nave been a riOt pure and simple; that
order has been completely restored. and
nat the authorities have ample force 20
a.ord every protection; that the tumuit
Sxs confined 10 Spanish and Cuban resi-