The Hawaiian Star

GENERAL WOODFORD HOME

HE IS

WARMLY

RECEIVED BY

THE PRESIDENT.

There was a Purpose in Sending the
Ultimatum to Spain in English In
stead of Cipher.

NEW YORK, May 8.-General Stewart
L. Woodford, United States Minister to Spain, arrived on La Touraine
this morning, and left for Washington this afternoon. La Touraine also
had on board a number of attaches
of the United States legation at Madrid.

The administration had a purpose
in transmitting to General Woodford
the ultimatum of the United States to
Spain in open English instead of in
the State Department cipher, which
is usually employed in cable correspondence with diplomatic representatives. It was expected by the President that the message to Minister
Woodford would be laid before the
Sagasta Ministry before it was delivered to General Woodford, and in this
he was not incorrect, as events proved. The message was delayed many
hours in delivery, and Minister Woodford afterwards learned that the ultimatum had been in the hands of Sagasta and had been considered by the
Cabinet long before he learned that it
had arrived. Thus it was that the
Spanish government was enabled to
give him his passport before he had
an opportunity to deliver the ultimatum formally to the Madrid government. The fact that the ultimatum
was not presented to the Spanish government was entirely satisfactory to
the administration, as it was in accordance with the expectations of the
President.