The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-06-13
TRUE HISTORY OF
DE L0ME'S LETTER
HOW 1T WAS OBTAINED AND
MADE PUBLIC.
Discovered by a Cuban Secretary,
Who Realized Its Value and
Brought It to This Country-Its
Publication Resulted in DeLome's
Dismissal and fastened the War.

1t will be remembered how the avow-
ais of undiminished friendship between
the United States and Spain were re-
peatedly being exchanged just before
the war, despite the incendiary utter
ances in congress and the passive re-
sistance offered by the Spanish author
tiles at Havana to the distribution of
the rations that the people of the
United States were contributing for
the relief of the starving "reconcen-
trados," and how, at this juncture,
certain letter, written by Mr.. Dupuy
de LONE, the Spanish minister at
Washington, to Mr.. Canalejas, a min
lister of the Spanish parliament, who
had gone to Cuba to study the situa-
tion there, was made public, it's con-
tents causing great sensation.
This letter, wherein the president OF
the United States was described as
low grade politician, was reproduced
in fac-simile in the newspapers. After
Mr.. Dupuy de Lome's acknowledge
ment of it's identity the matter was
taken up by the administration and
referred to Madrid, coupled with a re-
quest to remove the minister, who
who received his passports without
awaiting the reply from Madrid. He
claimed that he had demanded his
passports and presented his resigna-
ton before this step was taken but
this matters little in the affair." as there
is no question of doubt about the re-
moval being solely due to the discov-
cry of the letter. In this he had COM
1,,ifl l.I n ,a.f1r Ill
of no explanation, as it was a breach
of diplomatic courtesy which could not
be tolerated, especially at a period
when public opinion was already so
stirred ove- the Maine explosion it had
become difficult to keep 1t within
bounds.
Many theories have been expounded
regarding how this letter was OBJ
tanned. Some claimed that it could
only have been secured by the secret
service officials at the United States
post office. Others denied this, as let
ters of that character were seldom for
warded through the mails. The gen
eral opinion, however, was in favor of
believing that the letter had been
taken at Havana from the mails by
some Cuban spy working at the post
office, this belief being due to the GER
tain knowledge that under the new
autonomst regime then being intro
duced in Cuba a considerable number
of Cuban sympathizers had obtained
posts in the government Offices so as
to be better able to come in touch with
the Spanish officials, and find out the
movements of the troops, which were
being constantly discussed in all Span
iSh circles.
WHO OBTAINED IT.
1t is now claimed that the person
who obtained the letter was not in the
employ of the Spanish government; he
was, in fact, one of the many people in
Cuba looking for work. The story goes
that Canalejas the Spanish minister,
had arrived in Havana after staying
some days in Washington, and was so
busy calling and receiving calls from
the officials, political party leaders, Of
flee. seekers and friends that for some
time after arriving there he could not
find the time to attend to his cores
pondence. At the end Of two weeks
his mail matter had so accumulated
that he realized that he could do moth
ing without a secretary, and he asked
ish reformist party, to secure him a
person for this purpose, Offering him
500 for the work.
A young man called Escoto was rec
commended for the position, and he pre-
sented himself at the Inglaterra hotel,
and after the usual prelimnaries was
engaged by the crown minister. His
first work, Canalejas instructed him,
hn 70
groups and classify them-political
friends, official letters, social. private,
office-seekers, etc. He had Just COM
menced his work under his employers
supervision when a political friend
called and Canalejas left the room to
receive his visitor.
The young man proceeded with his
work, and having finished with the
opened letters he took up the parcel of
mail that had not yet been touched.
lie came upon an unopened letter,
sealed with the stamp of the Spanish
legation at Washington; he waited for
while" but the minister did not re-
turn, and after few minutes hesita-
ton ne tore open the envelope and read
the letter After doing this Escoto
realized that it was of SO great an i'm
portance that 1t would be simply i'm
possible for him to tell Canalejas that
he had opened it by mistake. He read
the letter over several times, and MAX
ing up his mind to use 1t to advan-
tase he put it into his pocket.
ESCOTO'S PLAN.
For four consecutive DAYS his work
with Canalejas went on, and in the
meanwhile the secretary obtained an
Introduction to LascOte the revolu-
tionary delegate in Havana, afterward
mayor Of that city. He asked for $50
to go TO New York and take the letter
in person. The matter was considered
and the general opinion among the
Havana delegates was not very favor
able. None of them had heard of the
man. His father they discovered, was
conductor on an English railroad
company in the island but nothing
more appeared to be known about the
son. AT the same time it was out of
the questto to allow a chance like that
to escape without ar effort being made
to bring the letter before the govern
ment Of the United States.
a solution was presented; the man
would leave the island with the $50 he
had asked foT, but he would be accom-
panied by person in touch with the
Junta, and, to avoid his being able to
communicate with doubtful characters,
he would be taken to a port where the
danger was least. This plan was ac-
ceDted and the $50 was subscribed by
five OF the delegation. EscOto, accom-
panied by Cuban of the name of Sar-
rachaga, left for Cardenas, and on
hiding in New York they were met by
Mr.. Horatio Rubens, the member of
the A ~ nrln an La. .,.l.. IL. l.I...u-Ia