Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-24
Progress Of Mr.. Calhoun's Investiga-
tions in Cuba.
VIEWS OF A SPANISH CAPITALIST
What Was Learned at Fashiona.
bic Havana Club.
A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY
From The Stars Special Correspondent.

HAVANA, Cuba, May Is, 1897.
Sounding public opinion in Havana is
delicate task. What there is of it lies
fathoms deep. Little can be learned of it
from newspapers, every line of which must
pass the scrutiny of the censor. Less can
be heard under the shadow of military
despotis1n, where an unconscious utterance
mas been known to mean a visit from the
police, arbitrary arrest and deportation to
the penal settlements off the coast OF
Africa. Yet Mr.. Calhoun is gaining infor-
mation from all classes. The belief that he
represents the President Of the United
States inspires degree of confidence.
If an inference could be drawn from
the questions which the representative of
the President asks. 1 should say he was
most interested in learning how far the
substantial people of the island support
the insurrection, and will continue to sup
port it. Already he has seen and heard
CROUCH to make him doubt whether there
is single province in Cuba that is ''paci-
fied.' Seemingly, he had formed an impress
sion that the insurgents were chiefly COM
posed of irresponsible and reckless men,
negroes, bandits and the like. Perhaps he
made this assumption merely for the pur
poses of his inquiry. The result is the
same. He gains the information he seeks.
Fer several days 1 had been trying to
learn what Manuel thinks of the war.
Manuel has been a servant in the old Gu
ban families. His present employment
brings him to US two or three times day
He had heard my questions with suspicion
and answered them evasively. Yesterday
Manuel became confidential. Was it true
he asked me, that President Mckinley had
sent Ell Senor Calhoun to Cuba to see Go
mez?
Manuel was disappointed when l told
him that Mr.. Calhoun's mission being a
judicial inquiry into the death of Ruiz did
not embrace diplomatic negotiations with
either the Spanish authorities or the in
surGent leaders. But FL Senior Calhoun
wanted to know, persisted Manuel, yes. ne
wanted to know and could Manuel tell us
If there We're any insurgents around Ha-
vana? Manuel was surprised. Had We not
heard OF Ell Jefe, the chief; Rodriguez and
Castillo and AraEguerra and Quintin Ban
dera, not very far away? Bandera, he said,
had twice crossed Weyler's trocha. Ban
dera was HI of fellow. devil of fighter
(Manuel has picked up few English
phrsses.)
l asked him whether the Cuban families
Of Havana were taking part in the war.
the gay young gentlemen of Havana would
be seen In the cafes and on the Prado. Now
1t was not SO. They were gone away
Some, 1t was said, had been sent to the
states to keep them out of the trouble
But they had come back again. They were
with the insurgents. Some were with
Quintin Bandera.
Bandera is a Inuatto. l asked Manuel if
the gay young gentlemen of Havana, the
sons of the old Cuban families, would fight
under negro.
His response was swift, and made me
ashamed of the question. Why should they
not fight under a negro, he said, when it
helped TO free their country? They would
fight under any one who was brave and
could lead them / suspect Manuel knows
more about the insurgents around Havana
than he told ME; that he is, maybe,
brakeman on the underground railroad by
which they keep up communication with
friends in the city. That is his affair.
Views of Spanish Capitalist.
Mr.. Calhoun had wanted to know how
the Spaniards in Cuba feel. He had feared
that they would not care to talk to him
and present their views, which, he as
sumed, would be an echo of the official
view. This class has not yet volunteered
much Information, but it is being heard
from in a quiet way. One man of promi-
nence sought an interview. He is rich him
self, and is the representative of foreign
capital. Though Spaniard, he has been
alternately threatened with deportation by
Weyler and protected by all the power of
the captain general. The insurgents have
never burned his sugar plantation and the
Spanish troops have not despoiled it. All
this means that he has been paying trib-
ute to both Sides
This man told the representative of the
United States not to judge Cuba by what
he would see in Havana, because it was no
criterion. In the interior Mr. Calhoun
would find conditions which would dispel
any glamour that might surround the Gu
bans.
The insurgents were painted with dark
cciors. The shadows were deep in the pic
ture he drew of Cuban morals and race in
termixture. Their capacity to govern the
islsnd, he said, was a baseless dream.
Their aspirations for liberty were really
the cutreaching for power which would be
abused.
After saying these and mary other things
and giving the facts on which he based his
statements. this Spaniard came to passing
SSShts. 1He lSitttlo, he Sdiu, WAS not paCl-
fled. The war was no nearer an end than
two years ago. He saw no prospect of
either side triumphing, nothing but a con-
tiliuation of the savagery on both sides un-
til not even an oasis was left in the desert
of desolation. If by miracle Spanish rule
should be re-established, it would be only
temporary. Spanish rule in Cuba was hope
lessly and ineradically corrupt. And for
himself, well, II there was no hope from
the United States, and he must choose, he
would take his chances with the insurgents
because for little while, they might give
a better government. Yet 1t was chaos. A
Spanish capitalist choosing chaos sooner
than the re-establishment of Spanish rule
in Cuba set Mr.. Calhoun to thinking. Prob
ably in due time President Mckinley will
know what he thinks of this phenomenon.
Learned at the Union Club.
The Union Club is the leading organixa-
tion OF its kind in Havana It has commo-
diCus and handsome rooms overlooking the
Central Park. It's membership includes the
representative professional and business
men OF the city. II political parties existed
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