Evening star., 1898-09-12
RESENTED BY .SPANIARDS
The Charging of Duty on Supplies for
Cuba
Joyous Scenes Attending the Return
tic Railway Passengers.
Special Correspondence CT The Evening Star

HAVANA, September Z. 1888.
After five days of helpless wondering We
received Monday afternoon a telegram
from the assistant secretary of war stating
that stores must be admitted free of duty
or we would be ordered home; telling us to
present the matter to the treasury depart
ment and wire reply. We presented the
ultiEiatum at once, and We're last evening
informed that they positively could not ex-
empt the cargo from duty, though they
were still willing to make an appropriation
and pay the duty if we would turn over the
stores to them for distribution. Why they
could not make this appropriation and let
us distribute them they do not say. We
cabled the reply to Washington and have
steam up awaiting our order to make an
ingloriouS retreat. 1t seems abominable
that such an expedition should have such
an outcome, but apparently the home gov
ernment does not care to insist on trying
TO make Christian of Il Spaniard.
The people of the town, even the Spanish
soldiers, are loud in their denunciation of
the government and the stand they have
taken, and there is no possible doubt that
while they have stuck to their point and
prevented us from aiding their people, they
have thrown mud over the colonial govern
ment and it's officials that no time will
SIrape off or hide.
The mail steamer MaScotte arrived from
hey w est tHlS informing WITH the HfSt indll
and first passengers from the United
States. There were many Cuban refugees
on board and their meeting with the friends
who fOCked out to meet them very af-
fectlnS. Even the men huggcd and cried
over each other in numbers, and boat after
boat started for shore containing happy
groups holding each Others hands and
smiling happily at each other, though the
tears were running down their cheeks.
Tne Cubans are as anxious as we to see
the commissioners arrive. and almost the
first question each asked as he reached the
boat was as to their arrival. They are hop
ing for an immediate Tighting of a great
many of their troubles, and will probably
be sadly disappointed at the delay neces-
Sary in such matters.
Sunday we took the train and went out
to one of the Cuban hospitals at the edge
of the town. On the way we were stopped
for time beside train returning with a
number of CubanS who had been out to see
their friends. Some of them saw the uni
forms of the major and captain, and word
flew over the train that there were Arneri-
can officers going out to the camp. Some
one of them suddenly produced an AmerI-
can flag, and for fifteen minutes the whole
trainful cheered wildly for the American
army, Mckinley and Cuba libre." During
a hull one of them called out: They said
We didn't want our liberty, now see
whether we dor and they howled louder
than ever. While pleasant at first, the en-
thustasm grew rather embarrassing. as
there were a number of Spanish officers in
the same car with US.
Supplies are still coming in from the
United States and other points, but the
bulk of it still remains on the wharves, the
merchants In town buying a sack or barrel
at time as they Immediately need.
A. c. TOWNSEND.