Mr. Moore to Sir
Julian Pauncefote.
Department of State,
Washington, June 21,
1898.
Dear Sir Julian: I return herewith your
telegram to Sir Alexander Gollan and his reply, which you were so good
as to leave with me, and inclose a paper containing a statement of the
matters on which we hope to obtain information through Sir Alexander
Gollan and Her Majesty’s consul at Santiago de Cuba. I have put the
statement into the form of a telegram to Sir Alexander Gollan in case
you should rind it convenient to use it for that purpose.
Sincerely yours,
[Inclosure.]
draft of telegram.
Constructor Hobson and seven seamen, Montague, Charette, Murphy,
Deignan, Phillips, Kelly, Clausen, on the U. S. ship Merrimac, when sunk at Santiago de Cuba, now
held prisoners by Spaniards. United States desires to learn through
Her Majesty’s consul at Santiago de Cuba how prisoners are treated
as to food, exercise, and attention, and especially whether they are
kept in places in line of fire in military operations.
memorandum.
[Substance of a telegram from Her Majesty’s
consul-general, Sir A. Gollan.]
Her Majesty’s consul at Santiago telegraphs to me as follows:
I have seen the American prisoners in barrack in close
proximity to the town. They are supplied with as good food
as the general scarcity permits of. Lieutenant Hobson
expresses satisfaction at everything; he is well lodged. The
lodging provided for the seamen is not so good; the
ventilation is poor, and they are not given sufficient
facilities for general exercise. I hope that there will be
made an improvement in regard to this last particular.
“In case of an attack by land, it is quite possible that the
prisoners would be exposed, as is the case with everybody
else.
