The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-03-19
Lee ON CUBAN TOPICS
Weyier's officers, He Believes,
Blew Up the Maine.
OFTEN MENAOBD BY AssASsINs.

Former Consul to Havana Received
Twenty to Thirty Letters a Day
Threatening Him with All Kinds
of Deaths-Eis story OF the Rescue
of General Funston In the Cuban
Capital.
"The United States and Cuba" was
the subject OF an address that was de-
livered by General Fitz- Hugh Lee be
fore the Patria club Of New York in
the Hotel Savoy the other evening,
says the New York Times. The gener-
al talked Of Cuba from his four years
knowledge of the country-first as COM
sui general at Havana, then as an Off
Ger in the invading army He told the
stories Of his services in Cuba and re-
lated how he saved General Funston
from death there and helped carry him
through a subterranean passage lead
Ing from his office to the river front
and then to a steamship bound for this
city He said in part:
prior to the war with Spain, when ]
was consul general in Cuba, there were
repeated attempts to assassinate me.
Wherever [ went | had to sit~4.ith my
back to the wall and my hand on my
six shooter. / received twenty and thir-
ty letters q day in which l was threat
ened with all manner of deaths. Some
threatened to waylay and strangle me;
others to string. me up to the nearest
lamppost, and still others to tie me to
a horses tail and drag me around the
streets of Havana.
"Five Spanish women called at my
Office one afternoon and handed me a
letter from some Spanish officers in
which they threatened to come. to my
Office, tie me hand and foot, put me
aboard the Maine and drive me out of
the harbor. | received reports that even
the Cubans wanted to kill me because
they believed that by SO doing war
with the United States would surely re-
suit.
When some of these reports were
current, man came into my Office one
day with the purpose, as | thought, Of
killing me. He moved toward me inch
by inch, and just 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 General Gomez's camp,
suffering from a wound in the thigh.
want to leave Cuba. L want to go back
to the United States | asked him
where Ia oo,,,n from o,,5 no e., III =, ~, -
dra~Iest kind of way, From Kan
sas.' That man was General Frederick
r. Funston. SO you see l had much to
do with the later capture of Aguinal-
do
General Lee then related the incl
dents that followed the blowing up of
the battleship Maine and told of Gener-
al Blanco's actions
II want to say here and for all time"
he continued, that General Blanco and
his officers had no more to do with the
blowing up Of the Maine than had the
people Of New York city. 1t is my be-
lief that some of the young officers left
in the arsenal by General Weyler blew
up the Maine. It was they, / am sure,
VINO planteQ the mine that sent the
Maine to its destruction.
In view of our great business enter
prises throughout the world and our
growing industries we should increase
the navy to protect these interests. Who
even supposes that this great country
will fold it's arms and allow European
countries to possess the trade of the
east do not give a proper consideration
to the history of nations fighting for
trade. In view of recent events we may
be in deep water before we know it,
perhaps inside Of a year. You know
what 1 mean. | think it is best under
the circumstances that we have the
right kind of men at the head of our
government.