Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-12-13
CEN. LEE SPEAKS ON CUBA
i. ~ m "a Made Big Mistake in
Island Go.
GOVERNMENT HAN EVER BEFORE
Praises Mckinley for Acting where
Cleveland TempOriEed and Places
Blame for Maine Disaster on
weyIer's Young Omcers.

NEW YORK, Dec. 12-General Fitzhugh
Lee addressed members of the Patria club
today on THE United States and Cuba"
He said in part
Cuba was never so we'll governed by
Spain as Il is today Congress wearied
of the wars In Clba and passed resolu-
of the revolutionists. Then came the war.
l want to say that i reported to Presi-
dent Cleveland the exact condition of af-
fairs that existed there. / reported the
rebellion, with all It's brutalities and hor-
rors and told him it would continue for
several generations If not brought to
Mr. Cleveland gave TO attention to my
reports and 1t was not until that great
man now sleeping his last sleep In Can
ton, o., took charge of affairs in Wash
ington that these atrocious conditions were
brought to an end.
should Have Held Cuba.
Cuba is well worthy of the attention Of
the American people. IL is the richest
ever rivaled Cuba In it's products. 1t has
been waiting for half a century for Amer
lean energy and enterprise. II we had not
sacrificed wisdom. for sentiment we would
own Cuba today. When we did have Cuba
we should have held on TO It, but some Of
the people wanted to show the world that
they were acting for humanity's sake and
not for the possession Of territory.
consul general in Cuba, there were re-
peated attempts to assassinate me. Where
ever / went | had TO sit with my back to
the wall and hand on my sixshooter.
received twenty and thirty letters day
in which / was threatened with all man
ners of deaths Some threatened to way
lay and strangle me- others to string me up
to the nearest lamp post and still others to
| tie me to a horses tail and drag me
around the streets of Havana. Five Span
| ish women called at my office one after
| noon and handed me letters from some
Spanish officers in which. they threatened
| foot, put me aboard Maine and drive me
| cut of the Earbor / received reports that
even The Cubans wanted to kill me because
war with the United States would thus
surely result.
While these reports were current, a man
| came into my office with the purpose, as
thought. Of killing me. He ncved toward
| me inch by inch and just as he came
within reach l had him covered with my
| revolver. l asked him what he wanted
and to my surprise he said in English
| II have just come from General Gomez s
| camp, suffering from a wound in the thigh
| to the United States"
asked him where he came from and
| he said, In the drawliest kind of way
From Kansas" That man was Genera
| Frederick r. Fupston. SO you see / had
much to do with the later capture of Agui
| naldo.
Holds BlRnco GuiItIess.
General Lee then related the incidents
that followed the blowing up OF Maine ant
told of General Blanco's action, after tn,
| catastrophe.
He continued;
| l want to say here and for all time tina
General Blanco and his officers had no NOR
to do with blowing up of Maine than thu
] people of New York City. 1t is my belle
that some of the young officers left Il
the arsenal by General Weyler blew
up. 1t was they. 1 am sure. who plante,
the mine that sent Maine to its deStruc
tion.
In conclusion he advocated an increas
o: the navy, owing to the growing inter
ests of the United States.