The morning times., 1896-02-06

Both Minister Palma and Secretary de
! QGessfia. oI die Cuban provisional mission
TO the United States, einphaticaIly deny the
| report that the sugar trust is making large
contributions toward defraylng the ex-
penses OF the reyoiunoaary movement.
Both gentlemen considered it unAyise and
inexpenlent 10 ulgniry bucn ruinors Dy
denial. They explained 10 The Times re-
porter that these statements are tue exact
antithesls TO those that have preceded THEN
within 4 period OF five wceks.
Since january ist the assertion has been
made, and boistered up by specious argu
ments that the sugar trust was irreyocaliy
| opposed 10 ta;' cIas1, of cHoan Independence,
and that money Was being freely given TO
defeat its consulnnlation. Their interests
! Were all, at that time, said To be with tue
| continuance of Spanish domination.
EsriioT Slaes3fda sad it was inanifestly inn
! probable that the sugar trust would furnish
any funds TO advance the interests of the
revolutionary cause. He pointed out the
fact that the trust is corporation, and
could take no action involving the eXpendi-
ture ofhalf u million dollars without the con-
! sent OF its stockholders. In the case OF a
firm it might be different.
IT Is NOT A FIRM.
| The controlling members of a firm could
act OF their own violation and distribute
funds without being held 10 strict ac-
countability.
! But III the case or corporation, said Senor
! Guesada, its authorized Officials must
make reports at stated intervals to the
stockholders, and can iake no controlling
action without their consent. In such an
event a matter OF that Importance must
obtain almost immediate publicity, and
could not be matter of conjecture, as in
the present instance.
Both Minister Palma aud Secretary
| Quesada rdicule the idea that the pro-
vlsionai lcGit.on here was being maintained
by the sugar trust. They pointed to the
| self-eyident fact that they were not i'll
| Washington a lobbyists but the repre-
sentaiiyes OF what the Ccbans regarded
! as an established AID de facto government.
! The report which the representatives OF
the Cuban Insurgents emphatica@iy deJy IS
! TO the effect that here is on foot a gigantic
scheme to tit out miniature amanda
Tor the purpose OF taking possession or the
island of Cuba, cstensibly in behalf OF the
| Cuban insurgents. but really for private
purposes.
Some substantially was given to the
reports by additional runors and certain
circumstances calculated to give them plaus-
ibility Il was no less than that the sugar
trust, which has lost heavily in Cuba by
the burning OF sugar Plantations and by
Gomez preventing the grinding OF sugar
cane, was backing the scheme.
of,
that several vessels were to be bought or
built in the name of some foreign govern
ment through trusted agent, fitted out
as gunboatS, aud. when all were re5dy
they were TO be sent out in various dsrec
tioDs, bnt were to sweep down On the
island together drive away the Spanist
fleet, capture Havana and proclaim a
Cuban republic ia the name OF the inSur
rectionists, with whom agreements favor
able to those backing the expedition had
been made.
MR.. RURENS' PART
The foreign government used as stalk
ing horse in this ease was said 30 be th'
United States of Colombia and vessels wer,
supposedly being constructed by New Yorl
ship building firms.
The further statement was also mad
1 that Horatio S. Rubcns. attorney for TIL
Cuban ilata. who has been in Washington
for three weeks, ostensibly working in tn
Interests OF t,,e iunta, was in realit.
lobbying in the interests of the sugar trust
and that although Ar. Rubens may no
be aware OF it, the expenses OF the Cubal
legation have indirectly been defray yed b
the sugar trust, and that the trust hat
:. sent the innia half million dollars.
These reports, the representatives OF tn
;nnta pronounce too palpabiy improbabl
even for denial.