Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-11
PACIFICATION OF CUBA A FICTION
OF GENERAL WEYLER'S.
SITUATION is GROWING WORSE.
PAPER MONEY WORTH LESS THAN
HALF ITS FACE VALUE.
Attempt TO Force the People TO Ac-
cept 1t AbandOned-DifficuI to
See How Spain Can Carry
the Burden Much
Longer.

Havana May l0.-There is grim humor
in the official announcements as to the state
of the inSurrection and the outlook which
causes sneer in Havana, where food is
scarce and sound money scarcer. AS the
situation grows worse at every point, the
palace reports become more rose-colored
and more at war with the facts. For in
stance, for centen. which is worth $3.50
in Spanish gold, one may get the equiv
alent of Sl1..30 in paper money to-day in
Havana. 1t is significant that the paper
money of Spain is at a greater discount at
this moment, when the reforms are said
TO be at hand, than at any time since
the war began. During the ten years
war centen was at one time worth Sl3
in paper, and no one doubts that the bill
lets will reach and pass that point again.
Two months ago a centen was worth $3.50
in paper, and then there was less talk of
pacifcation and of reforms than now.
The fact is. no one pays any attention
to General Weylers proclamations about
the peace he says he has brought about,
or to his talk about the golden time that
is coming. now that the queen regent has
been kind enough 10 sign the reforms.
These things are mere sound. But the
paper money is a grim fact and the de-
termination with which all persons refuse
forced even General Weyler to recognize
that the money question is superior to his
decree, and to abandon his declared inten-
tion of Furnishing anyone who looked twice
at these .'shinplasters."
Indeed, Spain, over his head suggests
that the billets be accepted in custom
houses, with an increase in duties corre-
spending to the depreciation of the paper.
The shopkeepers do not accept any billets
in many cases, or, if they do, the customer
must pay twice the gold price. The billet
is just so much deprecated paper, and
the country will not recognize it as any
thing else.
The plight of Spain is bad enough with
out the rioting which would be general
if an attempt were made TO force this
paper down the throats of men already
grown sullen because of the disastrous
and tagging military policy of General
Weyler. No one here can see how Spain
will he able to carry much longer the
financial burden with which she is sad
died, and which is increased tremendously
every month. Still, there are official an
nourcements that the military outlook is
roseate, despite the fact that engagements
are daily reported and wounded soldiers
carried into the garrisoned towns prove the
activity of rebels in every province.
There are engagements. too, which are
not reported, and these are the more SER
ious. Three nights ago, 100 wounded sold
iers We're carried into Regla by rail, on
their way to Havana hospitals. and some
of them died in the railroad station.
Officially, there has been no fight of i'm
portance in this province of late, but the
arrival of these men means that Spanish
columns have been ambushed by General
Castillo with his usual success. The fight
was at Govca.
No one, even at the palace, pretends that
Matanzas is paciiied. and ! know that a
messenger is on his way TO New York, who
will tell the junta that the insurgents in
Pinar del Rio number nearly 1000 armed
men, and that the four brigadiers there,
who served under Rivera. have acted Wig
orously and in harmony ever since his capt
ure, obeying General Gomez orders not TO
engage the Spanish force until he gave the
word that the time had come.