The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-01-15
CONTRADICTS MONEY
His Representation Of Affairs In
Cuba Said To Be Incorrect.
no SIGNS OF WAR At HAVANA
A New Yorker, Well Acquainted in the
Disturbed Island, Declares That the
Situation There Has Been
Greatly Exaggerated.

Greatly Exaggerated.
New York, Jan. 13.-The represen-
tations of fernando De Soto Money,
member of congress and senator-elect
from Mississippi, as to the state of af-
fairs in Cuba, are pronounced to be in
correct in many particulars by ]. A.
Wood, an architect, of 163 Broadway,
who was in Cuba at the time of Mr..
Moneys visit, and personally investi-
gated the situation there. Mr.. Woods
business affairs have taken him to
Cuba every year, but one, since 1886,
and he is personally known to many
Cubans. During his last visit to the
island which terminated Saturday,
Jan. 2, four days after Mr.. Moneys
arrival in Havana, he traversed in
, safety part of the territory which
Mr.. Money has declared to be unsafe,
and at the mercy of the insurgents,
and investigated for himself the re-
ported massacre of pacificos at GUIANA
bacoa, which has been cited by Mr..
Money as an instance of Spanish
atrocity. Concerning this he said:
The Attack on GuanabacOa.
''Mr. Money states that he was i'm
formed by General Weyler that there
were only a few scattered hordes of
rebels in the province of Havana and
denies it in this language: Only few
days before my arrival the insurgents
three nights in succession attacked
the city of Guanabacoa of $4,000 in
habitants, within four or five miles of
the city of Havana and burned twenty
five houses. They were unopposed by
Weyler's troops; they did as they
pleased and Withdrew Now" said
Mr.. Wood 81 made close personal in
quiry into the affair at Guanabacoa
and learned very different facts l
was in the city of Guanabacoa on the
day of the trouble, but did not hear of
1t until returned to Havana. There
were many rumors current concerning
the damage done and the loss of life,
but the most extravagant of all these
rumors placed the number of dead in
surgents at eighteen. AS result of
investigations l learned beyond a.
shadow of doubt that not more
than two insurgents were killed. Ands
yet in the report given out by Mrs
Money, it appears that he added of his
own volition nine persons to the list ots
the dead as it was irresponsibly estiit
mated at first J.
The Warlike Noises at Night. y
The reports of insurgent attacks org
has 81, Of Hau IL -
curious things of the war in Cuba. Its
is frequently announced that the resi-s
dents of Havana are alarmed at the7
sounds of firing during the night, the
inference being that the insurgents
are bold enough to assail the outskirts
of the city. There is shrewd class of
cafe proprietors at Guanabacoa and
other suburbs of Havana. They all
want their towns garrisoned for busi-
ness reasons These mock engage
ments are a very good means of demon
strating their need of protection. The
people of Havana have ceased to be
alarmed at warlilIe noises by night
since the cause of most of them has be-
come generally known. The inference
of Mr.. Money concerning the preva-
lence of epidemics and the inadequacy
OF the Spanish hospital service are not
borne out by my observations. was
In Havana eleven days and saw but
two of the yellow smallpox flags.
There are a few cases, but no more
than usually follow in the wake of an
army. The disease is not known to be
epidemic in Havana now. Yellow
fever always exists in Havana to some
extent, but it is not especially preva-
lent now. Mr.. Money says: Il was at
once given an option when arrived OF
being vaccinated or arrested / en-.
tered Cuba without any such expert.
ence. was vaccinated on leaving the
port for the United States ON the day
of my departure.
No Tax Paid to Rebels.
I'm bearing out his statement that
the country around Havana is not safe
from insurrefI IIonists," said Mr. Wood,
"Mr. None that the insurgents
are SO clos Rerful that they
levy tax Eait, vegetables,
corn, milk ana lH nnter Hava-
ma. tits tax said Mr..
Money, and goes light OF
about Is per cent "a l|As Not q
mouthful of Cuban PROD ~ iae,
is to-day aten in Havan4 III 1.s
not pay tariff to the revolnII| IS
this indirect way Weyler hin
contributing to the revolution. Ht<1
are the facts on this point" said Mn
Wood. "The country lying immedi.
ately around the towns occupied by
the Spanish is in a remarkably high
state of cultivation Around Havana
the suburbs are all under Spanish con.
troll and the country never looked so
prosperous, agriculturally, as now.
Plaza lVappor, the great Havana mar.
ket, is always full of fresh country
produce. The greater part of this
produce is raised inside the Spanish
lines. When Mr.. Money declares that
hot mouthful of Cuban products is
to-day eaten in Havana that does not
pay tariff to the revolution, he shows
that he either did not keep his eyes
open, or did not visit outlying dis
tricts at all.
Only Signs of Peace In Havana.
Travellers visiting Havana and not
being otherwise informed would find
nothing whatever in the city to indi-
cate that there is a war In progress on