Spaia Asks For Lee's Recall _ And That Supplies be Not Sent to Cabans in War? ships. PRESIDENT MCKINLEY % REFUSES BOTH RE? QUESTS. i v ? m Madrid, March 6.-Senor Golioo. Spanish minister of foreign affairs, recently intimated to United States Minister Woodford that the Spanish government desired the recall from. Habana of Consol General Lee and that the American warships which have been designated to convey sop plies to Coba for the relief of the safferers there should ba replaced by merchant vessels io order to deprive the assistance sent to the reconcen? trados of an official character. Minister Woodford cabled the re? quests to the Washington govern? ment, which replied, refusing to re tall General Lee in the present cir V assistances or to countermand the .rders for the despatch of the war vessels, making the representation (nat the relief v?asela are not fi gb ting ship?. Washington, March 6 -The Span? iel sitaation developed two new pfe&ses to-day, when it became known thai the Spaaiah government had for? mally requested the recall of Consul fanerai Lee at his post at Sabana, to which request the United Statee had Courteously bot firmly refused to com ply ; also that the Spanish govern? ment lias suggested thi impropriety af sending relief supplies to the On ban reconcentrados on the croiser Montgomery and gunboat Nashville, to which suggestion the United States had given a like answer in the negative. The first intimation of these steps came in a brief and explicit cable dispatch from Madrid. Prior to its receipt,1 boweverr the authorities here bad been fully conversant with the c ?tcts, although no intimation had been allowed to get tb the public on either subject. The disclosures from Ma ?rid left no further ground for reti? cence in Washington, and after a conference at the White House be* . twees the President, Assistant Sec / rotary Day of the state department and Secretary Long of the navy de? partment, the following authorized statement was handed to the ? eso ?lated Press by Judge Day. as com? prising everything that was to be said by the administration on the sub? ject **The President will not eonsider the recall of General Lee. He has some himself throughout this crisis with judgment, fidelity and courage, to;tbe Presid?nt's entire satisfaction As to the supplies for the relief of the Coban people all arrangements have been made to carry a consignment thia week from Key Weat by. one of the naval vessels, whichever may be j \ best adapted and most available for ! the purpose, to Matanzas and Sagua Though the c?cia?s here are non j committal on the subject, it is- gen? erally believed that the request for General Lee's recall was made at least a day or two ago, and the Span? ish government, after receiving the : reply of the /State department, ha? act insisted either upon Lee's recall .t- upon ita contention that the relief Applies should not be sent to Cuba ia naval vessels." * Beyond the foregoing/ those who bad participated in the conference ai the White House would not dise?as the subject, and it was- stated posi? tively that the authorized statement comprised everything that wo aid be given to any one. The advices from Madrid, together with the authoritative statement here left no room for doubt as to what bad occurred. The request for General Lee's recall is understood to .have ccme within the last few days, and doubtless since the last cabinet meet? ing on Friday, as no reference was sade to it at that time. It came through Minister Woodford, a some? what unusual procedure, as the com? mon mode of requesting the with drawal of a minister or a consul is through the representative bf the government making the request, which in this case is Senor DoBosc, the Spanish charge d'agar iee Mr. DoBose bad received no instrnctions on the subject and was in complete ignorance of the demands made through Minister Woodford The other suggestion of the Spauish gov eminent-that relief supplies should not be sent in war vessels-did not come throogb Minister Woodford, as the Madrid dispatches state, but was presented by Senor Du?o. Spain's service, ?od did not inclue Premier Gaives and his associate* - i the autonomous cabinet, who repn sent the new civil regime which Spat is seeking to enforce. The matte eame te the attention of Senor Dapa De Lome, then Spanish minister f Washington, and although there wai no protests tba situation doubt lei reached the state department, as sn ii able amends were made by Capt Sig? bee's eaiiing on Dr Coogetto, the civ secretary general. Premier Gaives an hit associates. There was like irrita .ion over a dinner given by Const General Lee to the officers of th Maine. The list of guetta ou that oe essien is said to have omitted soma of th Spanish aaval officers, and to have ioolt ded, quite conspicuously, the names of number of Amerioao newspaper cor respondents who were regarded by th Spanish officials at Habana as aotago niitie to them Thia also oame to tb attention of the offioiala here, bot wa not made the basis for any action, ba rather of unofficial Spanish criticise of Gen. Lee's general mode of. prc oed ure. Within recent days it has been un derstood by officials here that tbe feel ing against General Lee had bee] smoothed over, and the request for ht recall was for that reason in the natur* of a complete surprise. There ar circumstances, however, which clear!; disclose the grounds for the recall, al though it is not koowo that Spain ha made any exact specifications of oom plaint. Since the Maine disaster a re port bad beeo circulated that Genera Lee held the personal opinion that th? explosion waa due to external canses No official report of this character wa; ever sent to Washington so far at ii known But the mere circulation o tbe report at Madrid, attributing tuel views to General Lae, baa bean th< source of much feeling tn Spanien of fiotal circles. Tba prett dispatobei from Madrid also disclose that Genera Lee is held aeeouotable at tbe Spaoitt capital fer the project of the purchase of Coba by the United States fron Spain, as well as for a general aenti ment of sympathy toward the ins or gents The suggestion of The Imparcial, t ieadiog government organ, that the next sefsioo of the cortes will oonsidei the case of General Lee, shows tbe strong infioeoce which induced tbs Sa gasta cabinet to ask his recall. In this connection, the fact is noted that Senoi Dupuy De Lome is due io Spain at this time. Hie enforced retirement, on a demand by tbe United States, is felt to have awakened a counter sentiment at Madrid whiob finds expression against Consul General Lee. There ie little doubt also that such advice au Senor Dupuy Da Lome would give to the government or to tbe press io Mad? rid would oot be oonduoive toward the retention of General Lee. Tbere is lit? tie "doubt, however, that the main canoe of Spain's action is the sym? pathies General Lee bas shown for the Cuban sufferers . It is known that his aotive and open sympathy with tbe people who bave suffered so greatly daring tbe present insurrection, American citizens as weil as native Cubans, bas not been accepted by tbe Spanish officiais in Cuba as an exhibition of disinterested officialism, such as is expected of consular officers. There were complaints during Gen Weyler's administration of bis conduct, but never in fall official form. As a matter of fact, Spain required no form? al excase for tbe dismissal of a consu? lar officer, according to international law. These offioers are not endowed usually with diplomatic privileges, and they exist entirely by the sufferance of th? nations to which they are sent. Io their cate, it is not necessary nor us? ual to request their home governments to recall them They live officially only through ao exequatur granted by tbe government to which they are to credited, and this ?iay be withdraw any moment. So Consol General taaoy be dismissed from his post at pleasure of the Spanish govern a and thia would not violate any sec cf international law. But he is ic respect unique, in that he U endo with semi-diplomatic powers, by v?ish of eur government and by oonsent of the Spanish governor The request of the Spanish goveroo f^r bis recall may therefore be reg? ed as tantamount to a demand for recall of an objectionable ministe snob for instance as waa Senor Da; De Lome. There must be some s S'.ao?ional or satisfactory re29oa for s a demand io such cases, and as th presented against Gen Lee proba were confined to the ants he bas so performed with the full sauotioc ? approval of President McKinley, demand was 'bot entertained as is oh ly shown io tbe formal statement gi* ont by Assistant Secretary Day. I der such circumstances, the iccid would close unless Spaio took ?he eisive steps of insisting on Geo. Le recall, and tbis failing, giving him exequatur. This radical coarse is expected, however, and all the indi ti >os reach io g ofici?is here is i Spain will cot proceed farther with in Video t. The action regarding the omi Montgomery aod the gunboat Na; ville ii looked upon by officials here much less grave than that affeoti Gen. Lee. Secretary Long said to-a if thu he did not regard the question to what ship would carry the relief st plies as serious in any way or a? likt to present any preplexing issues. T j desire of the navy department, ft Long said, was merely to get the suppl to Cuba on ?he moat available vess Tbere are three of these, now at E West, the Montgomery, Nashville a Fern, alike available for the service a one of these. Mr. Loog said, would designated for the trip. The Fero if despatch boat rather '.baa au ar ed naval vessel, and her avai bili;y for this mission had not pi viottsly been suggested. Her ohoi WOG ld probably remove all ground i objection, as ?he has none of tba cha acteristica of a war vessel. Mr. Lu said, however, that the only decisi* thur far reached was that one of t naval vessels-Montgomery, Nasbvil or Fern-should' make tho trips ? this is the first time that public mentii has been made of the Fern in coo ne lion with carrying tbe supplies it mig be inferred that abe wiil make the tri T iie official orders, however, contint to stand as they were originally mad designating the Montgomery and Nas ville, but the?e oould be changed reai tty if the Fern was felt to be best sui ed for tbe work. The naval officia have felt from the first that the Mon gomcry and Nashville were illy adapt* for the carry inc of supplies. Th? are essentially fighting machines, ac every inch of available room is take with their own supplies of cordagi canvas, coal, etd. This was so app; rent, that the plans contemplated pa ting the relief sapplies on deck, cove iog them with tarpaulin, and trusting < the ?feather and a quick trip to keep tl provisions aod clothing from damag* The Fern, not being so essentially fighting machine, but more of the typ of a yaobt for the speedy conveyaoc of a J val dispatches, has considerab1 more room for ttowiog supplies, bot below and on deck Tbs Coban relief committee counte on Bedding 75 tons to Key West, but tb has now been increased to 100 toot It left New York on one of the Ma lory line of boats yesterday and is du at Key West next Wednesday. Tb transfer will take a day, and the pla baa been to have the govern ?sent sh i atart next Thursday for Coba. Tbe decision of tbe administration t cend supplies to tbe reconcentrados i Cuba was arrived at early in the weet General Lee had represented that b had been unable to distribute the good tua: hid been received in answer to tb proclamation of tbe President to tb Amerioao people. He reported tha many tons of these supplies were stol? ed io Habana and oould not bc for warded to tbe eastern end of the isl and. Tbe United States consols a Matanzas and Sagaa la Grande ha come in person to Hab?na to seek fo relief after reporting to the state de partment tbe terrible conditions exist iog in their respective districts. The state department immediate!; instituted inquiries, aod learning tba the original decree of the Spanish gov ernment. authorizing tbe free admissiot of supplies applied only to the port o Habana, seoured permission for th? free reception of these supplies at al ports. The next obstacle met was tbe diffi oaky of trans-shipping the goad) trom Habana eastward, there being ? semi-weekly service by steamer, ace that subject to many vexations. Whee the United States cruiser Montgomery returned from her cruise, which in? cluded the Cuban ports of Maotaezae and Santiago, the officers brought har? rowing (ales of tbe distress existing there. Captain Crowninshield, the chief ol the navigation bureau of thc navy de partmer.it, an officer of the soundest discretion and judgment, was on the nbip, an accidental passenger. He told President McKinley directly what he bad learned. The result was the im? mediate decision of the navy depart? ment to accede to the requests ot the relief committee in New York to for? ward their supplies to the eastern ports of Coba One of the American lines of steamships mooing to Nev? York bad offered to take the bounte? ous contributions of the American peo pie to Key West and the President himself gave the orders for their car? riage to eastern Coba by any of toe available ships of the N-^rth Atlantic : squadron. The announcement by the As&ociated Press of the purpose of the government j to seed supplies to (Juba on naval ves? sels was mada las! Wtdoesday. Wub? in 24 hours there were signs of resis? tance on the part of che Spanish gov? ernment. At first this took the shape of a formal ioquiry by the Spanish charge d'affaires, Senor DaBosc, as to the correctness of the report, the in? quiry being couched in an incredulous j tone, and later when the affirmation j came, there was lodged, not a formal j protest, but rather an insinuation that j the movement of the navsl ships would not be acceptable ; that it would be construed into an act of aotive sympathy on the part of the government of the United Stttes with tho insurgent?. But the President had satisfied him? self that the course he bad chosen that of sending the supplies io a naval vessel-was the only one that seemed to promise a prompt and efficient re* lief. Tbere was co time for diplomatic as?ges. as Gen. L'e's report stated that hundreds were dying daily, aod Senor BuBoso. was so informed. Senor - Du?osc, when seen at the Spanish legation to-day, could add little to the fund of information on the two subjects which were attracting so much official and public attention. He bad reoeived na word from his government concerning Geo. Lee, and he stated pocitively that nc suggestions concern? ing Gen. Lee's retirement bad been submitted by bim to ?the state depart? ment. As ta the sending of relief sop plies by the Montgomery and Nashville, Mr. BaBose said he felt that merchant vessel? were muon better equipped for snob service, aod their use was not open to that misconstruction in sending sup? plies by vessels of the navy. The oews concerning Gen Lee aroused tbe deepest inter?s*, and no lit? tle exitemeot throughout Washington, and for the time being the usual quiet of Sunday evening was put aside. In hotel corridors, at the clubs and io ali .public places it was tho absorbing topic, and notsinee the Maine disaster was snob widespread popular io te rest evinced in the Spanish situation. Spains Parchase of War Ships Confirmed. Fifty Million Dollar War Ap? propriation Reported Favorably. ATTEMPT TO RAISE BIG GUNS OF MAME ABAN? DONED. Special to the Daily Item. Washington, March 8.-The House appropriation committee bas made a favorable report on tibs bill to appro? priate fifty million dollars for immediate use for the purpose of defence in case it should be needed. The vote will be takan this afternoon. There is little opposition to the immediate passage of the bill. Four hours have been alloted for debate and the vote cannot be taken until 5 o'clock. BIG GUNS CANNOT BE RAISED Key West, Maroh 8 -Tbe wrecking tag Kigbt Arm, which baa been at work on the wreck of the battleship Maine io Havana harbor arrived in this port this morning. Tbe attempn to raise the big gnus of the Maine baa been abandoned, and tba entice ship aod ber costly arma oent and equipment will be given op as a total loss. SPAIN HAS BOUGHT SHIPS. London, March 8 -Tbe reported parchase of warships from English sbipbaildsrs by tho Spanish government bas been confirmed to-day by informa? tion derived from tbe most reliable and authoritative soaroea. MANNING THE WARSHIPS. Brooklyn, March 8 -Men to mao the cruisers Minneapolis and Colombia were drafted this morning and sent im? mediately to Philadelphia wbere those ships are in readinees to be placed io commission as soon as ' ws are pro? vided. TORPEDO FLEET FOR HAVANA. Madrid, March 8 -Preparations are beiug hastened to despatch the torpedo fleet to Havana, aod orders have been issued for it to sail direct to Havana on Friday. Washington, March 7.-There were no les* than five important events to? day having a bearing, more or less di rect, upon the troubled relations be tween the United S'.atea and Spain, via : Tho introduction in coogre*? by Mr Cannon of a resolution carrying ?50.000,000 for the pttblio defence, the wiibdrawal by the Spaabh government of its intimated objection to tbe con? tinuance in office of Consul General Lee, the order to the cruiser Mont? gomery to proceed to Elabana io place of the Fern, the nassaga of the bill j thn'U?h the bouse increasing the artil . lery ara? by tw?? regiaifeu's, and the in? stitution of negotiations looking to the purchase of warship* for our navy. Mr. Cannon's rcpoluriuc probably led j all other topics in interest, particularly ; i when it became known that it was the ! j result of acouferei.ee between the au j thor, the President, Senator Hale cod j o her leading spirits in congress, i As for Gen Lee's case, ;the news of I the satisfactory ending of the iooident I through the withdrawal of the suggea tioo 07 Spain was expected a9 soon as ic waa noted that a loophole had beco left open through the failure to make the complain?. i:j anything like an of ?cial shane Some fear is expressed that the consul general will not fiod his post congenial, now that be knows he ?3 an unwelcome guest in Habana, but the administration is relying upon bis devotion to the welfare of the Americans in Cuba and American in? terests generally to submit his own personal wishes to restraiot and remain at his post. L*te io the afternoon Senor DuBosc, the Spanish cbarge5 received a cipher cablegram from the minister of state at Madrid, Senor Galleo, saying : "You can disavow the rumor that any official application bas been made for the recall of Gen. Lee " This confirmed Mr. DuBosc's view that a misapprehension bad occurred and that some intimation concerning Gen. Lee had been construed into 3 je qnest or demand for his recall, whiob Mr. DuBose 6ays with positiveness was never intended. As tbere has been no explanation so far of the purpose which prompted the introduction of Mr. Gannon's resolu? tion, it may be ?aid that the money is wanted primarily as an emergency fund. It. is said by offieiale who will have the disposition of this treasure that it by no cacaos follows because congress places such a sum of money in tbe control of the President that be will feel bound to spend ali of it. Those who look for a wholesale purchase of warships from the bargain coen te; a of European builders are likely to be dis? appointed The navy department at preseat ie inolioed to make but one perchase of tbie kiod, at first, as least, in the shape of a eubstantial ironclad It does desire to get possession of several of tbe larger class of torpedo boat destroyers, ?ooh as the Sokul of tbe Russian navy, vessels of 300 toos, abie to keep the sea in bad weather, a weak point with our own boats, and capable of enormous speed, such ae 32 knots. But snob craft are not for isle at ail times ; tbey are built to order generally, and could not be p oeured in this manner in less than six months from the date of contract even in Eu? rope unless special priesa were paid. There is no disposition on the part of the navy department to lumber the navy with a lot of unserviceable craft in a spasm of fear, but rather to get a few of the best vessels to be had. The offers of ships to the navy de? partment are now assuming definite and formal shape During the day Secretary Long received a call from A F. Lane, representing the Maxim Norednfelt company and tbe agent for several war vessels now nearing completion in large foreign shipyards. These include two cruisers of the type of tbe Cincinnati, which are designed to be 20 knot vessels and two ironclads of 14 knots, which would be called third class battleships under oar ratiog. These are now open to parchase, end it is understood that Mr. Laoe'a visit was in this connection. The two cruisers are 330 feet long, 48 feet beam and 16 feet draft They car? ry six 6 inch and four 5 inob suns, and an auxiliary battery The iron dado have a 13 3 4 inch belt of barveyized steel. Their armament is two 10-inch goos, four 5-inob. two ?-inch, six 6 pouodera and four 1-poundera. Mr. Lane regards these ships as first class io every partie ular, as they were designed OB modern principles and are being built by ooo of the leading shipbuilding firms of Eu? rope. They are well along toward eompletioo, aod all four, it is said, eould be in commission within a few months They were originally design? ed for one of tbe South American re? publics, bot there is said to be no obli? gation which would prevent their ac? quisition by the United States. It Means Business. Yesterday's developments are sig? nificant of a coming: crisis in the rela? tions between the United States and Spain quite independent of the im? mediate issues The Spanish government has re ceded frem its request for the recall of Gen Lee. We did not expect this, for it made the request in re? sponse to a popular demand and to satisfy national pride, and we could not think that it would back down from a position so clearly taken, thereby challenging the wrath and contempt of its people, a people prone to overrate their strength and to be jealous of their dignity. That Sagasta's government has done so is suggestive of conscious impotence and much "bluffing'' in the past The recession will provoke, unices all re ports of Spanish sentiment are false, an outburst against the government, which holds its place none too secure? ly. Weyler and the Carliste will make rauch of it. Sagasta will be lu ?ky if he shall not fall by it. But as Spain recedes the United States advauces. The impulse has been given, and the momentum of a great people, greatly moved, will do I the rest. Most significant is the re quest for a credit of ?50,000,000. made by a Republican leader after consultation with the President ! Scarcely less Rf? is the new? of ne- j gotiation8 for the purchase of foreign warships. When to this is added the determination of the administration to send the Montgomery instead of the Fern to Cuba, a warship instead j of a dispatch boat, the conclusion j cannot be evaded that trouble is ex i pected and that we mean to be ready j to meet it. Reason it out. Spain has with? drawn her demands. On the surface there is no probable cause of war Vye must look beneath the surface. Beneath the surface of Habana bar bor in the first place, Yvr the discov ery of the cause of the Maine's de stiuction If the President believed or liad been advised that the explo? sion was due to internal causer, would he ask a war credit of fifty millions ? Look yet deeper. It has been repeatedly reported in an ad? ministration paper, the New York Sun, that long ago the President no tified Spain that if by March I, au? tonomy in Cuba should not plausibly claim . success the United States would be compelled to intervene. The whole world knows what a fail - -re that autonomy has been. Sup? pose that Spain's time is np ; suppose that, propelled by his parly platform, the press and the people. President McKinley has at least resolved to in? tervene iu Cuba-would he not take preci8ley the course he has taken dur? ing the last two or three days ? We believe that more is in this matter than two cancelled demands of Spain We think that the Presi? dent realizes, as his western organs do, that the American people demand action and tbnt further supineness will ruin the Republican party. We think that McKinley wants to be re? elected.-State, March 8. ON A FIN???CLE'OFIPRIDE. Fatal Pall for the Foolish in Case of War. Madrid, Ma?ch 3 -The queen re? gent bia signed the decree reducing tbe duties on wheat and flour. Tbe public t i much exercised over tho report of tte presence of a squad? ron of United States warships at Hong Kong, as it is presumed the vessels lo? tead to threaten Manilla, the capital of the Philippine Ldaod*, in the event of war betweeo tbe United States and Spain. Tbe Im parda , in an article headed "To Manila, to .New York," quoted an unnamed high personage wbo scouts the idea of an imminent rupture, and says : "Tbe presence of the warships at Hong Kong is only Washington's policy, with a view of contenting the jingoes " The "high personage" ts said to have added : "But America has not so many warships as to warrant such bold action if the Yankees go to the Philippines, tbe Spaniards will go to New York." Tba Globe re narks : "The govern? ment is alive to the critical situation, aed is silently prepariog for tbe worst. Bat it is too diplomatic to disclose the procedure by which it is preparing for emergencies " Farallel With Cuuba's Case. The Central American republics are constantly at war. Assassina? tion and oppression never case with? in them. Tyrant rises up to crush yranL Forever the people suffer. Is it rigbt tbat this great and civilized nation of ours should stand idly by while this state of affairs exist in the same hemisphere and not far to the South. This nation of ours is a civi? lized power It is its duty to see that civilization is preserved and ex? tended in other ?ands The continu? ance of anachy in Central America is a disgrace and cause of shame to the United States. The United States has commercial relations with the Central American slates which are doubtless suffering from the unsettled and turbulent conditions It is tte duty of the United States to interfere at once. Warships should be sent im? mediately, the army should be in? creased and the Central Americans should be thrashed until tuey are willing to keep the peace and behave prettily. Certainly, Uncle. Sam being responsible for what is done in Cuba, is also responsible for Central America. Later the doctrine can be enlarged to take in Brazil, Argentina aud Patagonia. On the American continent everybody must be good or submit to chastisement from Uncle Sam -Greenville News. English Opinion. London, March 7.-The Times says editorially this morning : "If Spain is placed in an awkward position respecting the Lee incident sh.e must thank the indiscretion of her foreign o?ce. She cannot blame President McKinley. Mr. Cannon's bill can hardly be explained by the Lee incident. It is probably due to the rumor that Spaiu is purchasing war vessels. '.We do not believe that Spain de sires war, but if she does ibis evi? dence of America's alertness offers a most effectual check President Mc? Kinley appears to be adhering loyal? ly to the policy of firmness, caution and pacific circumspection he has hitherto pursued. No doubt he has the support of the sober and con? scientious mass of the American peo? ple, but he has had io face outbursts of populai clamor that a weaker man might have mistaken for the voice of the couutry. "The complicity of the Spanish government in the Maine disaster is a hypothesis too monstrous and irra? tional to be entertained acd except that there is notljsug possible of ar rangement between Spain aud Amer? ica, while the intractable nature of Cuba's disorders cannot but inspire thoughtful Americans with a serious doubt as to the wisdom of annexa? tion."