The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-15
CANALEJAS GETS HIS LETTER.
The Precious Document Transferred to
It's Rightful Owner,


The Precious Document Transferred to
It's Rightful Owner,
Washington. February l4.-Actuated
by sense Of honor and strict idea Of
Justice, the state department has taken
steps to place in the hands Of Senor
Canalejas, to whom the letter was ad'
dressed, the epistle written by Senor
Dupuy De Lone. which led to the resig-
nation of the minister. The transaction
ment given out by the state department:
"Recognizing that the legal owner
ship of the De Lone letter is in Mr..
Canalejas, and his agent and attorney,
Mr.. Carlisle, having presented proper au-
thority to receive the same, the letter
was delivered to him today"
Senior Canalejas authorized Mr.. Carlisle
by caple to receive the letter. In the view
of the state department the letter was q
stolen document, and like any other piece
Of property, it should by application be
delivered to it's rightful owner. There
was no other course left open, for In the
United States rs in all other countries
having code of laws, letter becomes
the sole property of the person to whom
it is addressed, Immediately 1t ssar1s on
its way from the sender.
Even the latter cannot obtain possess
sion of 1t without the consent OF the per
son addressed; the limit OF his powers
legally being in certain cases to stop the
delivery Of the paper.
This letter has besides already COM
pletely served all the uses to which 1t
ment and there are in existence fac
smile copies Of the paper that are SO
surely authenticated as to leave no legal
doubt of their accuracy. There now
remains only the closing chapter of the
incident to be written, for the end is al
ready in sight. Notwithstanding all that
has been said in the press about demands
on Spain for apologies or retractions sd ol
the disagreeable things said by Senor de
LONE in his letter, it can be positively
stated that at no time since the publ
cation of the letter has the State Depart
ment taken any such course. Instead. IL
has relied entirely upon the sense OF pro-
priety of the Spanish government TO 90
all that was proper and needful 20 %lpe
out the unpleasant impression produced
by these statements, and 1t can now De
said that this course has been fully jus
titled and that the Spanish cabinet now
being aware of the full text of the letter
is expected within day or two to max
suoh disclaimer of the letter as Is required
Dy the circumstances.
Tonight the State Department. received
Official QOtlCe ITOIn NlduC1o VI oiio SOASS
tion of Senior Louis Polo Bernabe as
United States minister to succeed Senor
de LONE.
U. S. DEPARTMENT NOT RESPON'
SIBLE.
Washington, February 14.-There was
rumor that a call made by Mr. Cal,
deron Carlisle at the state department
today had relation to prosecutions Tor
the theft of the De LONE letter, but II
was stated later by those fully conver-
| SAINT with the facts that no move towards
the prosecution of those connected WIFI
the taking of the De LONE latter had
been made or was at present in contem,,
! plation. 1t is said that if the loss mao
occurred while the letter was In the
| Uuited States mails, then the usual pros.
ecutions by the postal authorities might
occur, but in the present case, there is
no trace as to the point where the letter
was abstracted and such evidence as is al
hand goes to show that the letter was
taken after it left the United States mails