Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-09
MINISTER W0oDFORD RETURNS
lie Arrives In Ncw York aud starts Mt
Once for Washington. DccIin-
Ing to sc Interviewed.

tpg ia re Interviewed.
NEW YORK, May S.-General Stewart L.
Woodford, United States minister to SPAIN
arrived on La Touraine this morning and
left for Washington this afternoon. La
Touraine also had on board number Of the
Madrid. including George Stanford sickles.
first secretary of the legation, Captain T. II.
Bliss, Colonel Kellogg, military attachc,
and Captain c. l.. Dyer, naval attache. Be-
sides these were Shu Ting, secretary Of the
Chinese legation at Madrid, accompanied by
Hon So. also OF the legation.
A reception committee from the Union
League club and U. s. Grant post 327.
Grand Army of the Republic met General
Woodford at quarantine and accompanied
him to this city. General Woodford declined
to be interviewed by reporters, saying he
was still in the diplomatic service of the
government and could say absolutely moth
ing for publication.
Mr.. Sickles when informed that cable dis
patches said the train on which the mem
bers of the legation had come from Madrid
to Paris had been attacked by a mob. and
that stones had been thrown at the party.
said:
well, some things were thrown at the
train but the demonstration was not of a
serious character. number of students,
not a large number, had gathered at
Valladolid and cried Long Live Spain and
q few other patriotic cries. They were not
directed against us particularly, assure
you, but were the result of patriotic feel
ing on their part. A few windows in one of
the cars next to the party were broken, but
none of us were injured, no one at all was
hurt While at Madrid we were treated with
the utmost courtesy"
When asked how it happened that Minister
Woodford had received his passports pre-
vious to his handing to the Spanish govern
ment the ultimatum of the United States
Mr.. Sickles said;
I'VE 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 papers
the Spanish cabinet would probably issue
ours to us and thereby sever all diplomatic
relations. But any further information I
cannot give"
w. G.. Cannon of Denver, who had been
travelling abroad, was another passenger.
He said he was forced to return to this
country as he could not continue through
Spain during the present state of affairs
In Paris, Mr.. Cannon said, the feeling is
most bitterly anti-Amercan Every person
who is thought to be an American is elbowed
off the sidewalks, jostled by the crowds and
everything possible done to show the an
tipathy of the French. Petty annoyances
are practiced For instance, the street cars
will not stop to take on American passen-
gers, rates of exchange in money in most
| cases are exorbitant and small purchases
are not encouraged by many of the shop
keepers except at prices three or four times
! their value
Bishop John L. Spalding Of Peoria said
| the feeling of the French toward the Amer
| leans was intensely hostile. He said he un-
derstood that one of the reasons for TINS
! was that eight-tenths of the public debt OF
Spain was held by the French people, and
| that the latter country owned nearly all
| of the railroads in operation in Spain.
Shu Ting. secretary of the Chinese lega-
| ton at Madrid. was asked as to- his trip to
! this country. He said he was en- route to
Washington to report to his country's min
| lister there, and would probably remain
| there until all hostilities between this coun-
| try and Spain have ceased.
| Asked as to the feeling of his country as
| to the present situation, he said: MY
| country is in favor of the United States. We
have been friendly for many years, and Will
| continue to be so.