The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-09
WOODFORD HOME AGAIN.
Late Minister to Spain Arrives in
New York.
DECLINES TO BE INTERVIEWED
AND HURRIES TO WASHINGTON.


La Touraine Brings Other Important
Passengers-Chinese Diplomat Says
His Country Favors America.
New York, May Seen. Woodford, q
5. minister to Spain, arrived on the
French Transatlantic steamer La Touraine
this morning, and left for Washington
at 3. A O'Clock this afternoon. The La
LORRAINE arrived outside Sandy HooI
shortly after midnight, but owing to the
harbor regulations prohibiting the en-
trance and departure of vessels between
: p. IN. and q. M. she was forced to re-
main outside until this morning. She
had on board a number of the attaches
of the U. S. legation at Madrid, includ-
ing George S. Sickles, first Secretary OF
the legation, Capt. 4. III. Bliss, Col.
Kellong, military attache: Capt. G.
Dyer, naval attache; Mrs. Dyer and two
daughters. Besides were Shu Ting,
secretary of the Chinese legation at Wash
ington. A reception committee from the
Union League club and u. S. Grant post,
327. 6. A. R., were to have met Gen.
Woodford at Quarantine, but owing to
the stormy weather only part of the COM
mittee appeared They boarded the steam.
er at Quarantine from the quarantine
boat Gov. Flower, shortly after La Tou-
ralne dropped anchor at Quarantine
But few OF the passengers of the liner ap.
peared on deck because of the rain. At
ter the health officer had boarded and
cleared La Touraine, which took little
time, the vessel proceeded up the bay
slowly, where she was met by the reye-
nue. cutter Oh which was reporter of the
Associated Press The reception com
mittee had already met Gen. Woodford.
He sent word that he would ace the re-
porter and when an audience had been
granted he asked that this statement be
made public:
General Woodford begs to be excused
from all interviews. He is still in the
diplomatic service of his government and
can say absolutely nothing for publica-
tion."
Asked if his family was still in Paris.
he declined to make any reply. When
informed that cable dispatches stated
that the train on which the members of
the legation had come from Madrid to
Paris had been attacked by y mob and
that stones had been thrown at the par
ty, MIR. Sickles, the secretary of the legn-
ton, evidently tried to make light of the
matter, but said: "Well, some things
We're thrown at the train, but the demon
stration was not serious character. A
number of students, not large mum Der,
had gathered at Valladolid and cried.
Long live Spain, and few other patri-
otto cries. They were not directed par
ticularly against u.s.. I assure you, but
were the result of a patriotic feeling on
their part. A few windows in one of the
cars next to the party were broken, but
none of us was injured, no one at ali was
hurt. While at Madrid we were treated
with the utmost courtesy"
When asked how it had happened that
Minister Woodford had received his pass-
ports previous to his handing to the Span
lsh government the nltimatum of the
United States, MIR. Sickles said:
We rather expected that, at least we
were not surprised when the passports ar
rived, as we knew that when the Spanish
minister at Washington received his
passports, the Spanish cabinet would
probably issue ours and thereby sever
er information l cannot give.''
Anoth CT passenger on the train, how
ever, stated that while at Valladolid, which
is about midway between Madrid and the
French frontier that there had been a
large gathering of people who were in a
very ugly mood, that stones and other
things had been thrown, number of
windows smashed and that for a time the
crowd, which had assumed the proper.
lions and temper of mob, made threats
against all Americans on the train and
1t looked as though they would make
good their threats to injure the Ameri-
cans. Naval Attache Dyer, when asked
about the reception of his passports BY
Minister Woodford, said that he HAD not
been present at the time as he had ac-
oompanied the wife and daughter of Min
lister Woodford to Paris and had left on
the day preceding that on which the pass
ports had been handed in.
Col. Kellogg of the 4th o. S. cavalry.
the military attache at Paris, was also on
the steamer and when asked as to the
reason for his return to this country said:
Il am simply going to Washington to
beg to be permitted to take part in the
active operations in the army when they
shall take place. Capt. Rodgers of the
4th cavalry is compelled to remain
abroad, but will make every efforts to be
transferred to this country as soon as
possible"
j. S. Highlands another American on
the steamer. said that he had gone abroad
to visit his son at Madrid. He had in.
tended staying about six months, but the
demonstrations had been
so great that he was forced to leave that
place within three weeks after his ar
rival and that his son was forced to flee
TO Lisbon. Mr.. Highlands said that the
signs of the office of tbs American houses
had been smashed and torn down.
bishop John L. Spalding of Peoria, Ill.
stated that the feeling of the French to-
ward the Americans was intensely hostile.
he said that he understood that one of
me reasons for this was that nine-tenths
d the public debt Of Spain was held by
NE French people, and that the latter
country also owned nearly all of the rail-
'oads in the coutry.
Shu Ting, secretary of the Chinese lega-
'lon at Madrid was asked as to his t. ip
10 this country. He said that he was en-
quite to Washington to report to his
there and would probably re-
Galn there until all hostilities between
MS country and Spain had ceased.
ASKED as to the feeling of his country, he
AID; MY country is in favor of the
Y nlted States. We have been friendly
or many wears and we shall continue t0