Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1898 — SPAIN IS TO BLAME. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SPAIN IS TO BLAME.

Gen. Lee's Testimony on the Maine Disaster Published. STATEMENT BEFORE THE CO MM ITTEE 1 H ■ > .jvt , Firm Ln Hla Belief That the Mine Was Touched OS by a Spanish Official —Shows Genuineness of the Weyler Letter. Washington, April 16.—The testimony taken before ths senate committee on foreign relations, in connection with the investigation into the relations between the United States and Cuba, was made public Thursday. It constitutes a book of about 660 pages, and includes not only the testimony taken since the disaster to the Maine, but also much that was taken before, and running back for a year or mor*. The statement whioh contains the greatest purrent Interest Is that made by Con-sul-General Lee on the 12th Inst. In this statement Gen. Lee said that he was Informed on very good authority that the Spaniards had placed two rows of torpedoes Just at the mouth of the Havana harbor, by Morro castle, within the past two months, or subsequent to the Maine disaster, and that the switchboard is in a room tn the castle. He said, however, that he had no Information of the placing of any torpedoes before the Maine was destroyed, and none in regard to the purchase abroad by the Spanish authorities. "Have you any reason to suppose that the harbor was mined at all, before the plowing up of the Maine?” asked Senator Frye. Weyler Letter Genuine. “No, sir; I had no reason to suspect anything of that sort up to that time." He then went on to say that Gen. Wavier's letter to Santos Guzman had led him to believe that mines might have been placed there previous to the Maine incident, and he said that this supposition was strengthened by a telegram from Gen. Weyler, of which he had cognizance. Upon the whole he thought the Weyler letter (the La Ina letter) was a correct copy of the genuine I<! Vhe telegram to which he referred wm addressed to Eva Canal, a noted Spanish woman, and an admirer of Weyler s, and to Senor Guzman, and it read as follows: "Grave circumstances cause me to ask yon to destroy the last letter of February

Lee said that this telegram had never before been published, and he f°una in It strong confirmatory evidence 6t the genuineness of the Weyler letter. The Maine Explosion. With reference to the responwlbtntr for Che destruction of the Maine, Gen. Lee said: “I am satisfied the explosion was from the outside. I cabled the state department a few days after the board assembled that |t was almost certain that the explosion was from the exterior. "I have always had an idea about the Maine that, of course, it was not blown up by any private individual or by any private citizen, but it was blown up by some of the officers who had charge of the mines and electrical wires and torpedoes in the arsenal there who thoroughly understood their business, for It was done remarkably well. Exonerates Gen. Blaneo. "I do not think Gen. Blanco, the present captain general of the island of Cuba, had anything to do with It. I do not think he had any knowledge of It. I saw him Just shortly after the occurrence. I was sitting in my room at the hotel, and from the balcony of the hotel I could hear this. I heard the explosion and saw a great column of fire go up in the air. A few moments after ascertaining that it was the Maine I went right down to the palace and I asked for Gen. Blanco. He came in directly by himself. He bad Just heard It. and was crying; tears were coming out of bis eyes. He seemed, to regret it as much as anybody I saw In Havana, but I think It came from some of the subaltern officers who, had been there under Weyler, and who were probably anti-Blanco anyhow, and who had full knowledge of the business.” Eleetrlcal Cables Sent to Cuba Gen. Lee said that he had seen a cony of a telegram from Admiral Manterolla, dated In Havana, prior to the explosion of the Maine, to the Spanish commission In London asking the commission to “hurry up the electrical cables.” "Whether that referred to wire for submarine mines or tor- ? edoes, I do not know,” he continued. "I rled to ascertain if any of the wire or electrical cables had arrived 'there, but they came on Spanish shins and I could not find out." Gen. Lee said that this testimony in regard to Manterolla, and also that with reference to the Weyler telegram, had been furnished to the court of inquiry, which Investigated the Maine disaster, but had not been sent to congress nor published because of a request of his made to the erf ate department not to make them public, "as I was afraid the Spanish papers there would republish It, and they would probably kill the man that gave It to me." Continuing his testimony, Gen. Lee said that ten minutes after the explosion he was at the palace talking to Gen. Blanuo, and that the tatter gave him an order for a boat to take him out Into the harbor. Senator Morgan asked if, when he got to the water's edge, ho saw any lights burning. Light* Did Mot Go Oat. "I did not notice that.” said Gen. Lee, "but I have made Inquiries since, and have ascertained that no electric lights went out. I sent for electric light men and gas men. Some gas lets went out in one 9! (wo places, caused by the shock or something, but I could not ascertain from these men that a single electric light went out. One of the electric light men Whom 1 called up Is ■ friend of mine, and he sent tor the man who has direct charge of the lights, who came to my offio*. This man said h* had not heard of any such thing. I said J wanted to know with certainty. The man then made an exploration of an hour cr two and returned, saying that with the exception of one electric light near the harbor and one at another place, not very far distant, where he thought perhaps the lights might have gone out by the shock, DO other electric light* went out." Gen. Lee also said that he had not felt the shock of the explosion at hie hotel. Dpanlib Officers Rejoice. "Have vou heard since the eauioelon of A

theTlafne khy expression by Spanish otfiT (sera tn relation to it. indicating their pleasure at the fact?" asked Senator Frye, Gen. Lee responded: "I heard two or three days afterwards from various partons who came li%that there was a good deal of rejoicing among some of the officers. All reports I got said they were drinking champagne, quite a thing to do in honor of the event, and in different portions of the city officers were making merry. I attribute it to the faot that what they considered almost an enemy's battleship had been blown up,. and it was that much tn their favor.” He said that he had not heard any threats of or allusions to the destruction of the Main* previous to the explosion. Senator Lodge asked if he had heard of am attempt on the Montgomery. _ I Attempt on the Montgomery. 1 “I heard," responded Gen. Lee, “that there was something of that sort one evening, but I .believe upop investigation It was found that it did not amount to a Vlie following colloquy between Senator Foraker and Gen. Lee brought out some further opinions of the general in regard to he destruction of the Maine: Senator Foraker—, You think that no novice could have destroyed the Maine? Consul General Lee—Oh, no, sir. The man who did that work was an officer thoroughly acquainted with explosives of all sorts, and who knew all about it. It was very well done. Senator Foraker—A man who had expert knowledge, necessarily? Consul General Lee— Senator Clark—And who Bust have had knowledge of the location of the torpedo? How It Might Have Been Done. Consul-General Lee—Yes—l never have been certain that the submarine explosive was placed there prior to the entrance of the Maine into the narbor. It might have been done al leewards. The Maine was anchored to a buoy by some little chain. A vessel swinging around that way sometimes gets at various places all around the* circle. When she would swdng off that way with the bow next to the buoy and these boats plying about the harbor all the time, anybody could go pretty well in front of her on a dark night and drop one »f these submarine mines or 500 pounds. They have fingers, as ft were, ana as the boat goes around it would touch the finger, which makes contact and explodes the mine. That might have been done after the Maine got in there and not be discovered. One or two men rowing quietly in a boat could drop it off the stern of the boat on a dark night, though Sigsbee had his patrols out. A boat would not have been noticed, because boats go there always to a late hour of the night. The harbor ig full of these little boats. A mine weighs about 500 pounds, and I suppose it would take two or three men —one man to row and probably three or four to handle the mine.” Armistice Amounts to Nothing. Senator Lodge asked: "What does this cessation of hostilities spoken of in the last few days amount to?” to which. Gen.

«->«» responded: -'Nothing; practically nothing—tho armistice amounts to nothing." In response to an inquiry from Senator Frye, as to his reasons for saying that the insurgents Would pay no attention to the arxpisliee. Gen, I-ec safa: "Bebauae every attempt so far to make terms or to make peace, or to buy the Insurgents or their leaders, has met with signal failure; and whatever may be said about old Gen. Gomez, he is, in my humble opinion, fighting that war in the only way It can be done—scattering his troops out—because tc concentrate would be to starve, having no commissary train and no way to get supplies.” Suppose Havana Wan Blockaded f "Suppose Havana was blockaded," bald Senator Mills, "so that no provisions could go in, would the people there have any way to get any?” “None whatever,” responded Gen. Lee. “The town would surrender in a short while." Gen. Lee said that all but about 300.000 Spaniards of the population of Cuba, which is about 1,500,000, were Cubans. Gen. Lee said that he bad expende<Ls*Hbut about (5,000 of the $50,000 appropriated for the relief of American citizens in Cuba. Gen. Lee said that there were American citizens left on the island, for whom there Is no provision since he had left. He thought there would have to be active steps for their relief, as they were suffering and starving. He said he thought Miss Clara Barton would have remained to take Charge of the distribution of supplies, "but very much to my surprise she turned around and came out the same day we did, bringing every Red Cross.” Cannut Conquer Insurgent*. Senator Frye asked: "What in your ludgment Is the possibility of Spain conquering the insurgents and restoring peace to the island?” Consul-General Lee—l do not think there « the slightest possibility of their doing It at all In any way. The some condition of things existed when Mr. Cleveland asked me to go down there last June a year ago. I gave him a report three weeks after I got there. In which I told him then* was no chance in my opinion of the Spaniards ever suppressing that Insurrection, uv. was there any chance of the insurrectionists expelling the Spanish soldiers from the Island. In response to an inquiry from Senator Lodge, for his opinion of the insurgent government, Gen. Lee said: “I have never thought that the insurgent* had anything except the skeleton form of a government -a movable capital I asked them one day why they did not have some permanent capital, and I think they gave a very good reason. They said It would require a large force to protect it and defend It, and they could not afford to mass up their men there; that the capital of the government offioes had to move where they could be safest." . . Gen. Lee said he did not know any of the officials connected with their civil government. The armed force would number probably 81,W)0 or 82.000. The number has b»en up probably as high as 36.0C0 or 37.000 men well armed. The ammunition varies The Spanish force was possibly 55,000 or 56.000. Gen. Lee said that an American army of occupation could go into the Island with ■afety now. The climate nor anything els* need prevent them entering Cuba. Gen. Lee said that when he left Havana the Spanish troops had not been paid for about nine months, nor the Spanish officers for about four months.

SCENES AMONG OUR NAVAL VESSELS AT KEY WEST.