The record-union., 1895-08-15
THE SITUATION IN CUBA.
A TALK WITH SENIOR ALVAREZ,
MAYOR OF HAVANA.
He Says There Is Danger Ahead Be-
tween the United states and the
spanish Government.

New YORK, Aug. 1.-the Mayor of
Havana. Senor Segunde Alvarez, who is
at the Union Square Hotel, says that the
insurrection in Cuba is not serious mat
ter, but that there is danger ahead of trOu
bic between Spain ana the Y nited States,
growing out of the action OF our GOven-
ment in pressing Spain to pay the Mora
claim at this time, and Of the aid that
Americans are extending to Cuban agi-
tators and filibusters.
Senior Alvarez talked worry plainly with
your correspondent, who called upon
him to-day. He said he had heard moth
ing in regard to the reports that Martinez
Canpos had resigned and placed no con-
fidence i'll the rumors. He said he be-
lieved that Campos had asked that q
General be sent from Madrid to assist
him, and that the man who Is sent out
will be placed in charge of all adminis
tration affairs, enabling General Campos
to devote his entire operations in the
field.
Senor Alvarez then said: 1.-The news
about General CampOs' retirement is like
much Cuban newS-it IS man ufactured.
4 large part Of the stories published here
are talsehoods."
When asked about the revolution,
SoDOr Alvarez 5dlu. IL IL Il TiSlUg Oh
outlaws led by foreigners. The better
class of Cubans have nothing to do with
it. In the Santiago Province the in-
surgents are nearly all negroes. Maceo,
their leader, is a mulatto. Gomez is
San DOMINICAN. All the other leaders OF
the insurgents are American citizens.
They are foreigners on Cuban soil. and
should be shot down. American citizens
here who are aiding them should not be
al n hnld raiSa ft, do
and lit up expeditions, as they are do
ing"
Senior Alvarez became very earnest at
this point, and spoke with emphasis.
He continued: The people of the United
States should remem Der that this is not
war between two nation, ana they cannot
say, we will be neutral 1t is a diff
Guilty one nation is having in its own
family, and America must keep her
hands of. Americans not only permit
foreigners, but allow their own citizens
to conspire against Spanish authority,
and Spain is friendly nation"
But has not the nited States by proc
lamation and by orders to men-ot-war
and revenue cutters, shown their friend
ship for SPAIN"
'.Yes, but what good does man-of-
war anchored at Key West do? None at
all. Expeditions are fitted out just the
same, and sent under the protection of
the American flag. Perhaps your Gov
ernment acIs because 1t knows that
Spain is keeping au account of all the ex-
peditions that are sent out, and when the
trou bic in Cuba is over will ask your
Government to pay damages. Your
newspapers publish detailed accounts of
how these expeditions are fitted and how
they are landed.
Are meetings to be held in your
cities, money raised for the avowed pur-
poses of sending war supplies to Cuba
and expeditions to be lifted out and
sailed under the American flag with no
redress for Spain?
Let me tell you this" continued
Senior Alvarez, "The American flag is
being used to cover every crime. Span
ish officers are getting tired OF letting ex-
peditions escape which sail under the
American flag. The day may come
when an officer will no longer permit a
vessel 10 go free through respect for the
flag. Something will happen-not to tho
1iag-but to the boat that is using it, and
there may be trouble between Spain anu
the United States.
Another thing we do not like" said
Senior Alvarez, lis insisting that the
Mora claim be paid just when Spain
needs money for war purposes. The
claim itself is unjust, and should never
be paid. All the arbitrators have decided
IL,
/ citizen until his property was destroyed,
1t would never have been pushed il a
/ Spanish Minister was not 20 get a share
of it. And why does not the United
/ States pay the claim that Spain has had
ever since Florida WAS purchased? 1t
was then agreed that Spanish residents
/ who gave up their property should be re-
/ imbursed. but they have never been paid.
1t does not seem with good grace for the
( United States to ask spain to pay mill
/ ion anu half now. and the manner in
/ which the claim has been pressed makes
! the Spaniards sore. The United States
/ does not pay the award made by the
/ Behring sea Commission, and is getting
/ the reputation of being bad debtor
? among tie nations, and yet a demand is
I made that Spain pay the unjust Mora
! claim, aud must do il at once. All these
+ things make our blood boil.''
! Senor Alvarez expects to return to Ha-
| yaua in September.