New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-19
STAGNATION IN HAVANA.
BUSINESS WAITING ON THE AMERICAN
OCCUPATION.

BUSINESS WAITING ON THE AMERICAN
OCCUPATION.
DEL rs1oS AZ TO PROLONGED SPANISH occUPA-
TON p1spELLEp BY THE WORK OF
THE ErSorNEER oFFTc1Ak
Havana. Oct 10 Especially Havana has known
duh time. in the past. According to the ner-
chants. however there never has heen a PERIOD
OF stagnation quite equal to the present Inc
condition IS a natural and inevitable one, out
this knowledge does not lessen their impauence
l. Is a literal truth that, barring the Spanish
officials who will be deprived Of their offices and
a few-a very few-radical Cuban patriots who
hoped that their own flag would be run UP az
soon as the Spanish ensign came down every
body is praying for the American military &C.
cupation. Until the Custom House is in the con
tro! Of American officials business in Havana
will continue stagnant On the heels OF this
/ control will follow g. period Of activity greater
/ perhaps than the situation warrants. but the
normal basis Will ultimately be reached
II a curious illustration Of the Spanish cnar-
acter that the coming Of a second military COM
mission charged with the minor duty OF select
ing camp sites has had more effect In conVnc-
ing all classes that the United States VIII as
sumo authority than does the presence OF the
Commission charged with arranging for the
evacuation Of the island by the Spanish troops
They can see the engineer officers and the san
! ftarv experts who arrived this week going about
and taking observations. II should be said
also that this work is being don. IN thor
oughly methoiical and practical way The re-
suits will Justify the that has been taken
WRONG IDEAS ABOUT SPANISH EVACUATION
The labors OF the Evacuation Commission
have not been carried IN public General
Wade and his associates General Butler ana
Admiral Sampson. have not been able 20 point
~ the transports departing with Spanish troops
/ in large nurrber On this account as much as
for other reasons the people Of Havana wero
becoming hopeless n seeing the Spanards de
part for months 70 come. The idea that the
evacuation would bA delayed until the verge OF
another yellow fever season had gained posses
slim ~ them AS they could no. be taken into
tbA confidence Of the Washington Adrninistra-
ZION and ,ts policy b. fully disclosed they
| formed their own opinion. and - Was mis-
/ taken one
! The reasons which IN the United States were
/ conclusive against sending soldiers TO Western
/ and Central Cuba before November did not ap-
| peal 70 The people here. They have seen the
/ Spanish soldiers die Ike flies from the yellow
! fever Il was not quite clear 10 them why go
! much greater regard should Be shown for the
lives of American soldiers. Recent events have
/ convinced Americans in Havana Of the wisdom
az the policy that he's been followed The send
I ing Of troops here at any time during the last
rrO months would have been criminal unless
/ az ;-orera rive necessity had arisen for MAIN
/ tanning public order. Fortunately there mas
bean no such emergency. LACKING N IhaAy
/ Other respects the authority or Captaln-Gehef d!
T}Ia~oo ana ~ the Autonomist Cabinet which IS
/ bun the shadow Of the Captain-GeneraI' mas
| been sufficient 10 preserve the peace. ..-
/ Il is So we'll understood IN the Cnlteo otaLes
+ 49, tba sranish Evacuation Commission is the
+ ruppet Of sagasta that the different impression
1hich had obtained in Havana WouIo nQt % IN IN
b derstood there without word OF exp! ana So!i.
tn du-ias of the Peace Commission IN Fdr!s
r cause little comment here. because mere Is
/ u--le interest IN the Philippines. Inc NOS, y
F norant Spanlards in Havana, the Notuil 800
among them know that SPANS power IN Cuo4
is "a end knowing that they ara indInet
about the other parts 81 me "o.'a eaor ds,s ~,
/ after dAlav tnterposed. The patience Whlcn the
T American Military Commission mas shoWu naS
been misinterpreted and the notion vas oscolo
| ing prevalent that the Spanish Commission %ds
/ IN some indefinite way gaining advantases. IHe
continued presence Of the spanish troops vas
the supposed evidence o. THIS daNsli'ae0
DELus1oNs DIsPELLED
While the Spanish understanding IS DUH 1t IS
reached through the senses For this reason the
activity OF the engineer and sanitary officers IS
! the best possible means That Cou!o DC Ian" ~
di.rAl The delusion that Spanish occupancy OF
The island and spanish sovereignty were to con-
tinus ,I1til next APRIL Every step taken IN pre-
! nart1g tLA CAMPS for the American military
! earrisons IS convincing argument thdt tte oio
! ordar < coming 70 an end. The more openly
! thase preparatiOns are made ana the turthSr
/ they advance the more cneerlu VIII oe tII-
10 ~ tba community TIE fact OF American
/ control is the needful thing AS THIS LscC sp-
I nroaches the conditions will improve penang
he Chance business in Havana will be done on
! q gradually narrowing scale For Re" WeeAs
times will he even duller han al present pu' II
! will he only for few weeks
The outlook Is rot luminous with nope, put ie
/ "a hotter The drawback 70 agriculture when
was foreseen when immediate possession OF me
island bv American troops did not follow me
! signing the protocol is real but II was un-
| MADAM. The tobacco farms are not yielding
! as much as they will under more favorlng cir
| curnstances yet they are yielding something
| Tha same will prove true OF some OF the sugar
| -iartations and there will be quantity Of cane
| n grind in December and later. II is necessary
m state these things because II all the pessiis-
| tic ,alk which is heard were credited there
! would be no escape from the oNier that not a
| blade OF grass would grow IN CUBA this season
| rhA condition Of the poorer classes OF the pop
marion is also little better The suffering 10
! grAa, vet relief Is finally reaching those VINO
| ava in need This is true OF the country as well
| 90 ~ Havana The rations discharged by the
| Connal az Natanzas have been pretty thoroughly
| Hs,rIbuted This relief work Will be more eff
| .aot,vs when The troops occupy all parts OF the
| island and the distribution can be mace by the
| Commissary Department Until then the pres
| ~, svsts7o will answer fairly well.
| -~---