Evening star., 1898-09-14
UNDERTAKES.
R w BARKER
IN MERCHANTS INTEREST.
Reason Given for Excluding Supplies
From Havana.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
DNr ID I2In COMA
Havana Harbor. August n. 1893.

ON BOARD COAIAL,
Havana Harbor. August 81. 1888.
Unless l am much mistaken. The Star to-
night will contain some information that
will make the people Of Washington wish
they had wiped Havana off the map before
that protocol was issued. We cablcd the
news to Washington last night, and it Will
undoubtedly be made public.
The Spanish authorities here have re-
fused to let US land our cargo without pay
ing a heavy duty on it, The United States
government has sent over $125 coo worth OF
food, by actual government cost, to keep the
people of this island from dying. and these
nhuman WretCheS refuse to let ii so to them
without the payment of a duty of some
S6OUN-a last attempt to line their dirty
pockets before they get down and out 1t
is monstrOus, and a piece Of barbarity
which one can hardly credit.
Major NiSkern was promised a decision
by Monday noon. Mind you, these people
whom we are trying to help have never
come near us; We have had to hunt them UP
in every instance, as If We We're the needy.
The major went to the palace Monday noon
and was put off. They would not be able
to decide the question so quickly, but would
let US know at 1 o'clock yesterday. We
have been assured by nearly every intelli-
gent person to whom have talked that
undoubtedly the merchants of the town had
raised the purse which always controls the
Spanish action, and were preventing our
supplies from landing until they got in
quantities themselves and squeezed all the
money they could out of the poor, and We
fully believe it. 1t isn't much that the
storekeepers can get from these starving
people, but every penny they can scrape up
goes for food, and even pennies are valua-
Bile when it is your last chance.
When the major finally saw the secretary
of the treasury last night, after waiting
for the man an hour and a half, he was in
formed that the stores could not be ad-
mitted without duty except on one condi-
ton-turR them over to them and they
would make an appropriation to pay the
duty and then distribute the supplies in the
name of the United States government.
The major says he would lie here and rot
before he would pay a cent. Yesterday an
other Spaniard came on board with a bllI
of SIS for 'harbOrage." The major prompt
ly returned il with the statement that he
service, piiOtage, etc. The Spaniard looked
a him aSkance for a moment and then
vamosed." | suppose they charged the
Maine harbOrage, Cersainly no better man
lectcd for this piece Of work. He is not
hOt-headed. but he is not going to see the
dignity OF the United States ridden down bv
these fellows for an instant. and he doesn't
hesitate 10 tell them SO in pretty plain
terms.
We think that the Spaniards, whether
they are really hoping TO get that duty or
are simply delaying matters to help the
merchants. are playing with fire. and We
are looking eagerly for that peace commits
sion and figuring on what they will DO
when il comes to arranging the terms of
evacuation after hearing of this business
They are expected here on the Sd but We
expect TO hear pretty strongly from Wash
mgton before then, unless our cableeram
has been hell up. A. c. TOWNSEND.