Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-13
.FlTzHucH LEE ON CUBA
He Reported 10 Mr. Cleveland True Conditions
But He Paid No Attention to Them.
When Mr. Mckinley Was Elected u
Was Different and Atrocities
Came 10 an End.

New York, Dec. 12--Gen. Fltzhugh
Lee addressed the members OF the Pat
ria club tonight on "The United States
and Cuba" He said, In part:
Cuba never was so We'll governed
by Spain as she Ia today. Congress,
wearIed OF the wars in cuba, passed
resolutions recognizing inc right OF
belligerency OF the rebels and then
came the war want TO say that
represented to President Cleveland the
exact condition of affairs that existed
there. reported the rebellion, with all
It's brutalities and horrors. and told him
that II would continue for several gen.
erations II not brought 20 speedy end.
Mr.. Cleveland gave no attention TO my
reports. and 1t was not until that great
man now sleeping his last sleep in can
ton, O., took charge OF Alters In wash
ington that these atrocious conditions
were brought to an end,
Cuba is web worthy the attention
of the American people. il Is the rich
est spot ON Gods green earth. No
county can evss<rivh Cuba In lin
products. II has been waiting FOR a
half century for American 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 II, but some
of the people wanted TO show the World
that they were acting for humanity's
sake and not for the possession of ter
ritory.
prior to the war with Spain, when
| was cOnsul-general IN Cuba, there
were repeated attempts TO assasslnate
me. Wherever went had TO sit With
my back TO the wall and my hand on
my six shooter. | received 70 or 20
letters In day In which | was threat
ened with all manner OF death. Seine
threatened to waylay and strange me.
others TO string me up 10 the nearest
lamp post, and still others TO tie me to
a horses tail and drag me around the
streets OF Havana. Five Spanish wo-
men called at my office one afternoon
and handed me a letter from some
Spanish officers, in which they threat
cned 10 come TO my office, tie me hand
and foot. put me aboard the Maine
and drive me out Of the harbor re-
ceiyed reports that even the Cubans
wanted 10 kill me because they believed
that by doing so war with the United
States would surely result.
when some Of these reports were
current. q man came 10 my Office one
day with the purpose, as thought, Of
killing me. He moved toward me inch
by inch, and as he came within reach
| had him covered with my gun.
asked him what he wanted, and to my
surprise. he said, In English: 4 have
Just come from Gen. Comets camp
suffering from wound In the thigh. |
want TO leave Cuba ! asked him
where he came from, and he said, in
the drawliest kind OF way; From Kan
sas' That man was Gen. Frederick
Funston. So you see ] had much TO do
with the latter capturing AguInaldo"
Gen. Lee then recited the Incidents
Of the blowing up OF the Maine. and
told OF Gen. Blanco's action after the
catastrophe.
Il want TO say here and for all
time" he continued. that Gen. Blanco
and his officers had no more to DO with
the blowing up OF the Maine than had
the people OF New York city. II Is my
belief that some OF the young officers
left in the arsenal by Gen. Weyler blew
up the Maine. II was they. | am sure,
who planted the mine that sent the
Maine TO Its destruction"