The herald., 1898-10-26
CONSIDER THE CONDITIONS IN
CUBA
THE QUESTION OF OCCUPATION
Must Be Determined by the Course OF
Events-The News Received
From Paris
Associated Press Special Wire.

"
NET meeting TODAY the situation in Cub
was gone over for the information OF thos
members who did not see the president ye
4erday. 1t was explained that the tim
fixed for the evacuation of the island ha
been extended front December lst to JaI
uary lst, and that the United States woul
assume control Of the government OF III
several cities and provinces as last as the
were evacuated by the Spaniards, but n
faster. Havana probably will be the las
of the cities to remove its troops and tn
last to surrender civil control to the Unite
States. This, however, must be accom-
plished by the first of January.
The question of the relation Porto Ric
shall bear to the general government c
the United States is receiving the caret'
consideration of the president and member
of the cabinet The question of chang
iii the currency system of the island, tn
frage, and many other incidental but highl
important subjects are now under considera
ton, and probably will be treated upon a
some length in the presidents forthcomin
message to congress. 1t is not unllkel
that congress will be asked to pass som
needed general legislation respecting th
temporary government of the island, will
O recommendation that commission be ap
pointed to consider with more deliberatiol
gress all of the questions involved, an(
make a report at a future time.
Nothing of a disquieting nature has beel
heard from our peace commission at Paris
the contention of the Spaniards that th
United States should assume the Cuba1
debt or any other Spanish obligation be
yond the recognition as valid of the mu
nicipal obligations of Havana, and possibl,
other Cuban cities, is received here witt
ank ,,ah
out of the question, as our commissioners
knew before they left Washington.
Secretary Alyer carried to the meet
ing a mass of data relative to the evacuation
of Cuba by the Spanish troops and to th'
establishment of sites for the occupation
OF the American troops. OF the latter, Col
onel Hicker's commission furnished nearly
all the information, and there was no les
than three separate reports OH tine subject
The Colonel metnodically kept Il daily rec
ord of observations of the features, in de
tail, of each of the sites examined, railroad
facilities, accessibility to water and Other
matters of vital Importance. The commits
sion has already pretty well exploited Ha
vana province; has made some excursion:
into Matanzas province and at last account
was working i'll Pinar del Rio. This leaves
only the central portion of the island to be
inspected, as Colonel Woods judgment
supplemented by that of other army officers
who have been campaigning in that section
will be accepted as to the disposition OF mil
itary forces in eastern Cuba.
General Wade has good many sugges-
tiOns to make, which, though always con
nected with the work of the Evacuation
Commission, relate TO subjects OF interest
to the administration. The administration
too, has reached the conclusion that the
disposition OF such property as cannon
mounts and other fixed property by the
Spaniards In Havana is in violation OF the
spirit of the protocol and is taknls step:
to suspend the practice.
The cabinet gave a good deal of attention
to the Hecker board reports, and it may be
remarked as significant that 1t is still un-
determined on the question as to whether
the United states government should erect
piers and other permanent aids to the land
ing of troops, or ii they should depend upon
lighters, such as Were used at Santiago, for
landing them. The significance of the de-
cision to be reached lies in the fact that it
may indicate a determination on the part
OF the administration to make longer or
shorter occupation OF the island OF Cuba.
If the stay of the United States troops in
Cuba is to be short. lighters will probably
serve all purposes il, on the other hand, a
long military occupation is looked forward
to, permanent landing structures will be
the most economical and serviceable, as the
means OF keeping the troops supplied with
uuartermaster and commissary stores and
facilitate their movements from one part of
the island to another.
There was some talk at the cabinet meet
ing OF the work of the Paris commission
and although it is realized that the situa-
ton is not satisfactory, confidence was eX-
pressed IN the ultimate success of the Ameri-
can commissioners. The Spanish commits
sioners, as was stated, are asking for every
thing, in the hope of getting something.
LATE NEWS FROM PARIS
During the afternoon and tonight inform
alton received by the president from Paris
was informally discussed at the White
House by Mr.. Mckinley and several mem
bers of his cabinet. Tonight four members
of the cabinet We're with the president fer
some time. They had not been summoned
TO the Executive mansion. but had dropped
in to discuss with the president some press
ing departmental matters which had to be
disposed of before the latter left for Phila-
delphia.
The information received from the Amer
lean peace commissioners, which was said
to be disquieting, was discussed. but so far
as could be ascertained no action was taken.
The presence of the cabinet ministers at
the White House gave rise to the report
LHdJ SIltciul Injecting ol Ine rlDlieU fl1C
been called to consider the Paris situation:
put one of the officials who was present said
That the informal conference which was
nad about various matters, could not be sig
nihed as a cabinet meeting.
Precisely the information received by the
president from the American commission
.rs was not disclosed tonight 1t is said
that the situation has assumed an emhar-
rassirg if not critical stage in the opinion
of the commissioners, although there is
still reason for the expectation that the
negotiations will not be broken off. and that
they will proceed to a successful issue. sit
Is understood to be the belief of the pres.
dent that the uncertainty which now seems
to cloud the proceedings will soon be dis
sipated and that an agreement will he
reached which will be satisfactory to the
American people
SICK SPANIARDS
The following cablegram received at hte
war department says:
Manila, Oct %. Adiutant General Wash
lngton: Spanish transport ship expected to
arrive tomorrow from Barcelona wishes to
transport 800 of the sick Spanish soldiers
now here. This would relieve the situa-
ton. Shall permission be given?
OTIS.
This message was answered in the affirm
ative.