The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-03-07


lister at Washington, and although
there were no protests the situation
doubtless reached the state department
as suitable amends were made by Cap
tain Sigsbees calling On DR.. Congosto,
the civil secretary general and Premier
Galvez and his associates. There was
like irritation over a dinner given by
General Lee to the officers of the Maine.
The list of guests on that occasion is
said to have omitted some of the Span
ish naval officers and to have included,
quite conspicuously, the names of a
number of American newspaper CORE
spondents, who were regarded by the
Spanish officials at Havana as antago-
nistic to them.
Presumable Grounds for Recall.
Within recent days it has been un-
derstood by officials here that the feel
| ing against General Lee had been
smoothed over and the request for his
recall was for that reason in the ma
| ture of a complete surprise. There are
circumstances, however, which clearly
disclose the grounds for the recall, al
though it is not known that Spain has
made any exact specifications of COM
plant. Since the Maine disaster re-
port has been circulated that General
Lee held the personal opinion that the
explosion was due to external cause,
No official report of this character was
ever sent to Washington so far as is
known, but the mere circulation of the
report at Madrid, attributing such
views to General Lee, has been the
of IN CpnTich off,
cial circles. The press dispatches from
Madrid also disclose that General Lee
is held accountable at the Spanish cap
ital for the project of the purchase of
| Cuba by the United States from Spain,
as well as for a general sentiment OF
| sympathy toward the insurgents. The
suggestion of the impartial, a leading
government paper, that the next ses-
| sion of the Cortes will consider the case
| of General Lee shows the strong infiu-
| ence which induced the Sagasta cabi-
net to ask his recall. In this connec-
| tion the fact is noted that Senior Dupuy
De LONE is due in Spain at this time.
| His enforced retirement on a demand
| by the United States is felt to have
| awakened counter sentiment at Mad
| rid, which finds expression against
| Consul General Lee. There is little
| doubt also that such advices as Senior
Dupuy De LONE would give to the gov
! ernment or to the press in Madrid
would be conducive toward the reten-
tion of General Lee. There is little
| doubt, however, that the main cause
of Spain's action is the sympathy Gen
eral Lee has shown for the Cuban suf-
| ferers.
Lees Sympathy with Cnbans.
| 1t is known that his active and open
| sympathy with the people who have
suffered SO greatly during the present
| insurrection, Americans as well as ma
tive Cubans, has not been accepted by
the Spanish officials in Cuba as an ex-
| hibition of disinterested officialism
such as is expected of consular officers.
There were complaints during General
Weyler's administration of his con-
duct. but never in full official form. AS
a matter of fact, Spain requires no
| formal excuse for the dismissal of
| consular officer, according to interna-
| tional law. These officers are not en-
| dowed with diplomatic privileges, how
ever. In their case it is not necessary
| to request their home governments to
recall them. They live officially through
| an exequatur granted by the govern
ment to which they are accredited, and
this may be withdrawn at any mo-
ment. So Consul General Lee may be
dismissed from his post at the pleasure
| of the Spanish government and this
would not violate any section of inter-
national law. But he is In one respect
unique, in that he is endowed with
semi-diplomatic powers, by the wish of
| our government and by the consent of
| the Spanish government. The request
for his recall may be regarded as tan
tamount to a demand for the recall of
an Objectionable minister such for in
stance as Senor Depuy de LONE. There
| must be some substantial or satisfac-
tory reason for such demand in such
| cases and as those presented against
| General Lee probably were confined to
acts he has SO far performed with the
full sanction and approval Of President
Mckinley the demand was not enter
tanned as is clearly shown in the form
al statement given out by Assistant
Secretary Day. Under such circum-
stances the incident would close unless
Spain took the decisive step of insist
ing on General Lees recall and this
failing, giving him his exequatur.
Spain May Not Insist.
This radical course is not expected,
however, and all the Indications reach
ing officials here is that Spain will not
proceed further with the incident The
action regarding the cruiser Montgom-
cry and the gunboat Nashville is look
ed upon by officials here as much less
grave than that affecting General Lee.
Secretary Long said tonight that he
did not regard the question as to what
| ship should carry the relief supplies as
serious in any way, or as likely to pre-
sent any perplexing issues. The de-
sire Of the navy department, Mr. Long
said, was merely to get the supplies to
| Cuba on the most available vessel
There were three of these now at Key
West, the Montgomery, Nashville and
Fern, alike available for the service
and one of these, Mr.. Long said, would
be designated for the trip. The Fern
is a dispatch boat than than an armed
naval vessel, and her availability fol
| tbie r,oission had NOT rrayio1S1v hapu