St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-02-08
SECRETS OF OUR LATE WAR.
Ex-Minister Woodford Tells Them to the Arm,
and Navy Club.

Gen. Stewart l. Woodiord talked to
members Of the Army and Navy Club Of
New York recently and their guests about
some of the happenings at Washington
and Madrid while he was the United
States Minister to Spain. Among other
things, Gen. Woodford said
without introduction will try to tell
you omething OF such Of the happenings
at Madrid while he who addr sses you
was your minister to Spain as the pro-
prleties of the occasion and the usages
OF the state department will permit. Your
minister carried with him to Madrid in
structions from the president to do three
things. One was to secure justice for
Cuba: another was to see that our COM
mercial interests in that island were no
longer embarrassed, and the third was
to demand the withdrawal from Cuba OF
Gen Weyler on or before Oct. 81, 1897
or to demand the passports OF the Amer
lean Minister. delivered nv Instructions
to the Duke OF Teluan, the Spanish min
lister OF foreign affairs, and he promptly
told me that under no circumstances
would Gen. Weyler be withdrawn from
Cuba until the end Of the two years for
which he had been sent there.
What the Duke of Tetuan refused to
do and what American diplomacy tailed
to secure was accomplished by provi-
dental means. The conservative gov.
eminent resigned, the Sagasta ministry
came into power, and OIL October 20,
think it was. two days bt fore the set
time for Gen. Weylers recall by the pres.
ident, Weyler was recalled.
THE weeks driited by and Feb. is,
1898, came, when our battleship was
blown up in the harbor of Havana.
Through departments other than the
state department your minister received
Geographic information on Feb. Is hat
there was not on American ships or IN
the ordnance depots in the United States
two rounds OF powder per gun at that
time, and | was told to exhaust the arts
OF peace until April Is, the earliest date
at which we could be anywhere near
ready tor war; and that in any event,
powder for both the navy and
The army would be another impossibility
Your minister did the best he could
'"S ~ hiS WI yOu tudti udu IL UOl DtCU
or the unialtering, unchanging and loyal
OF England and the attitude
II her minister at Madrid he might have
allied to do the little he did do, because
he representatives at Madrid OF CONT.
lental Europe were ready at any time to !
Interfere with the plans of the United
states. If the British minister would
My join them. In the meantime the 4
york OF preparation went on at home,
nd to show you how accurately the
me was gagged, | may tell you Of the
IN OF a sealed express train across the I,
ointment, the contents of which train
man outside of Washington and only q
no there knew. 1t had the right of way c.
YER all other trains. When it reached
an Francisco its cargo was transferred "
waiting steamer, which raced to p
onolulu. There the cruiser Baltimore q
as waiting, no one knew tor what. =
he cargo was shifted to the Baltimore,
hlch carried it to Hong Kong, and on
pril % the cargo was distributed
nong the American warships there, and
'wey had the ammunition he wanted. Al
April "a he got his orders to sail for N
anila. That ammunition on Nav Dav
woke echoes in Manila Bay that were
ard round the world and took from -
,ain an empire" "