Mr. Dupuy de Lôme to Mr. Olney.
Washington, March 1, 1897.
Mr. Secretary: On being informed by your excellency of the circumstances under which several American citizens are now under arrest in the Island of Cuba, I communicated your statements to his excellency the minister of state, who, in conjunction with the Government of Her Majesty the Queen Regent, has given detailed examination to the statements of the United States Government, at the same time that it has likewise considered the friendly observations addressed to it by other Governments.
The Spanish Government desires that persons prosecuted before the law by reason of the exceptional circumstances now occurring in the Island of Cuba shall suffer no unnecessary hardships (molestias), and at the same time that those who, abusing the hospitality they enjoy, violate the law shall not escape the law, has prescribed measures of a general character which it believes will avoid all ground of complaint and assure and facilitate the action of the courts.
In having the honor to bring this to your excellency’s knowledge, I beg you to be pleased to direct that every case wherein you deem that there has been a violation of the law or failure to observe the prescriptions of the treaties, you will call the attention of this legation or that of the United States at Madrid thereto, pointing out the laws which have not been obeyed, in order to thus avoid want of compliance therewith or the unnecessary alarm caused by false reports.
I avail myself, etc.,