The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-10-31
GENERAL WOODS WOES.
His Troubles With the CubanS
Who Are After Office. 80.
FACTIONS FIGHTING FOR PLACE.

Although Admitting That the Mayor
of Manzanillo Is Competent and
Was Brave Cuban Soldier, General
Rios Demands His Dismissal.
Manzanillo, Oct a1.-The witt of Cen
eral Leonard Wood, governor of the
military department of Santiago. has
been instrumental in bringing all the
elements among the Cubans to the
front. No fewer than 1000 insurgents.
of whom 500 are officers, want offices.
and their clamor amounts almost to
demand.
There are two leading factions, one
headed by General Jesus Rabi and the
other by General Rios At present most
of the offices are held by representa-
tives Of the Rabi faction, including the
mayoralty and the custom house In
spectorships. General Wood, in order
to pacify the Rios faction, has given
them six positions on the rural police
force and turned over to one of their
people the lighthouse at Cape Cruz, to-
gether with several other minor ap-
pointments. But neither party is sat
isfied. each thinking that 1t ought to
have all the offices. General Rios does
not dare express his opinion publicly
of General Rabi, but he feels that this
is his district, as he has had the nomi-
nal charge of 1t for three years, and
that 1t ought to belong to him, so far
as appointments of Cubans to office are
concerned, and all the more so because
he represents General Calixto Garcia.
Tho n tprtv nf 10 ipcYrpanfc hQrp
have no money and go about living
from hand to mouth and wondering
what will happen next. Armed men
are not allowed rations. As the Gu
bans will not disband, and will not
work, nothing remains for them but
to strut about the city, with machete;
and revolvers. Some Of them are near
ly naked, others appear in long legged
patent leather boots with silver spurs,
carrying superbly wrought Toledo ma
chetes. A few wear imaculate white
suits and panama hats. These are fer
the most part the New York contingent,
each man now veritable bombasteS
furioso.
Except when he is on board the gun
boat Hist, which brought him here,
General Wood Is besieged by these
seekers for office. Among the inter
views he has had was one with Gen
eral Rios. who wanted the mayor OF
Manzanillo, one of Rabi's faction, dis
missed and his own man appointed to
the mayoralty. General Wood asked
on what grounds the dismissal could be
sustained. He said: 'Is not the mayor
competent officer? Has he not an ex-
celent reputation? Did he not serve
bravely and effectively throughout the
entire war?
To all this General Rios replied In the
Affirmative, but he insisted that his
own nominee was entitled to the po-
sition because he was Rios man. The
interests of the city and the locality
were apparently minor considerations
in the mind Of the Cuban commander.
But this appears to be the case every
where among the Cuban insurgents
General Wood and Colonel Petit re-
gard the outlook as rather discour-
aging. Still they hope that some means
may soon be found to break uD the
Cuban army. The members of the
rank and file are anxious to go to
work. but the leaders refuse to allow
them TO do so. and the men do not
dare desert, as they would certainly
be shot if captured
General Wood is hoping that the
other towns he will visit in his trip
around the province will not present
the same veXatious conditions as pre-
vail here, where the Cuban problem
Is presented in very different FORM
the most difficult he has yet encounter
ed
1t was necessary to send a detach-
ment Of the Fourth immune regimen,
under q sergeant to the Rigney planta-
tion In order to compel the armed Gu
bans to allow men to work there. The
undertaking, however. proved success
full, and eco men are now regularly en-
ployed.
The latest advic"s from Santa Cruz
del Sur. tho meeting place of the Gu
ban assembly, do not report the ar
rival there Of General MaXimo Gomez,
but there are persistent rumors that
the friends of Gomez. who are dele
gates to the assembly. viii cndeavor
to emblrraas General Calixto Garcia
and his supporters.
Lieutenant Young and the officers of
the Hist have been most enihusiastical-
ly welcomed here by the rubans, who
are grateful for the help many times
extended to them. The gallant. little
boat during the war was as much an
object of .Ove to tn" Cubans along the
coast as of fear to the Spaniards. She
was quit" as we'll known to both par
ties as the New York city hall Is to
the residents of the metropolis.